


The Hell did I wake up to and how does it all fit?

by Koi112



Series: What if? A different Version of FO4 [2]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-27 12:34:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 42,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17162090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koi112/pseuds/Koi112
Summary: Bevin finds out that she really is alone and walking into the future with a lot of unknowns are taking their toll on her mind.  When all is said and done, can she stand alone?  Or does she turn to the people who know her the least?





	1. The Light of Day

Bevin had no idea where she was, but her home looked like a bomb had went off. "What happened here?" The voice behind her made her jump. "The Great War happened sweetie." She turned and looked at her Father and Brother. "I know this is a dream because you two are dead. I buried you. Why are you here?" Drew walked over to her. "Your mind is a mess little sister. What is going on?" She looked at her brother and smiled sadly. "I survived the bomb because I saved the head of the Institute and I have no idea who it was, and that adds another layer of guilt onto everything else I have to deal with. I have no idea what to do. And then I have this Paladin who is a major ass that is looking to me to save his ass. I have nothing against him, it's just his attitude towards me screams to beat him to paste, but I can't. And I have no idea how to help." Her dad looked at her. "Sweetie? Who is this guy?" She looked at her dad and noticed Arthur walking toward her. "That is Arthur Maxson and he's the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel. He's also related to Roger. I'm not sure how I feel about him though. One minute I can see myself dating him, and the next, I want to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze. He tests me on a whole other level and I can't deal with all of this. My anxiety has spiked four or five times already and I have no idea what I am going to do. This is as bad as when mom was alive. I have no idea what I am doing most of the time, and no one is letting me know what is going on or what happened and I can't handle it." Her dad looked at Arthur and then to her. "He really does look like Roger. Except for the scar." She looked at her dad and then to Arthur. "Ignore him and Drew. They've been dead for a long time so tact isn't their strong suit." Arthur laughed and then looked at her. "It's almost time for you to wake up. I hate to do this to you, but you need to say good-bye." She hugged her Dad and Drew and watched them disappear, the loss hitting her like the day they were buried.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Arthur staring at her. Not sure if it was a dream, she reached up and touched his face. Touching skin, she smiled as Arthur looked at her confused. "Do I want to know?" She shook her head. "Not really. Just dealing with a few things. Where am I?" Arthur looked at her, and sighed. "I had you brought to my quarters. You have slept for about twelve hours. Is that normal?" She nodded. "Whatever Cade got into me was amazing. Plus if my anxiety attack is bad I can sleep for twenty-four hours and had no memory of what happened. Is there something that I need to know? How is the Paladin?" The knock on the door saved him from answering at that moment. "Good Morning Elder. I hope you slept well. How is Bevin?" She sighed. "I'm fine, thanks for asking." William looked past Arthur and noticed that she was moving around. "Elder? Is there anyway that you could get me some coffee? I'm dealing with brain fog and that happens if I sleep too much, and I need to have a chat with my client, now that he's sober." Danse turned red and she just stared holes into him. "Would you like anything Paladin?" Danse shook his head. "I'm fine. Had some crackers a bit ago." Arthur nodded and closed the door. She looked at him. "Do you think you could give me a fair warning when you are going to get drunk? So I know when to stay away from you." He stared at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about what it would do." She looked at him and felt the anger dribble away. And the thought hit her. "Give me a minute." She opened the door and grabbed Virgil. "Grab a blood kit. I have an idea." Virgil grabbed what she asked for and they walked into the Elder's quarters to see Danse still sitting in the chair, his head in his hands. "Relax Paladin, I'm about to save your ass. Virgil, I need you to do a blood draw on the Paladin, and the Proctors. If they ask, tell them Maxson is updating the system and that they are the last ones to be tested. I need you to rush me the results when you get them." Virgil nodded, took the blood sample that she wanted and left. "Why are you doing this? If the Elder wants me dead, he can have my life." Bevin stared at him. "You really are a moron. I have no idea why I am even doing this, but I want to fill you in on a secret. The Elder, Nick and I don't believe what we've been told. And since my mouth got me into this mess, so that means our asses are in the same sling, so if you screw up, I am going down with you. From where I stand, you have two choices. You can do this my way, or you can do this my way." Danse looked at her and for the first time in days, he smiled. "You gave me the same choice." She looked at him. "Yeah, I know. My question is who hates you so much that they would do this? It makes no sense to me or the Elder. I was there when Quinlan gave the Elder the paper. What does he have against you?" William looked at her. "I have no idea, but I want to know why?" Arthur walked in and watched Bevin drill the Paladin on what he did and who would do this. "For the tenth time I have no idea why this is happening. I've told you everything I know."

She sighed and looked up at the blue eyes of the Elder's. "Know what? Take a break and I will look over everything I have so far. But do us both a favor. If you think that drinking is a great idea, don't. I would hate to see you behind bars for conduct unbecoming. There are people who look up and who want to be just like you. So think about the Squires who want to be like Paladin Danse and if your dumb ass is in Cambridge, you are not doing either of us any good. Got it?" Danse nodded. "Good. Get out and stay out of my way." He left and she looked at the Elder. "I want to set a few ground rules. There will be nothing happening between us at any point, until I decide that I am ready. I am the Vault Dweller and you run the BOS. I am also your Paladin's attorney of record and you are the one ruling in this case." Arthur knew she was right and turned to walk away. "But as soon as this is over, I get to go back to being ignored by the crew and I'm ok with that." Arthur looked at her. "Care to explain?" She sighed and sat down. "Not really too much to say about it. When Nick and I are alone, he talks my ear off, but when he's around other people? I get a wall of silence and it's hard to read. He can talk to me as an equal when it's just him and I, but around other people, I don't exist. But then again, you're the same way Elder. When it's the two of us, you'll talk and joke with me, but around other people, I am pushed into the dark like I'm a dirty little secret. Hell, I had a Scribe and a Squire talk to me yesterday and for once it was nice. I'm not just the only person from the one-eleven Vault. I am Bevin Oliver, a new face to make friends with. And I get it. You can't be seen with me. I'm not the type of woman you should have on your arm, and it sucks because no one will ever get to know the real me. And I'm ok with it. I am going to talk to Kells and see if there is anywhere else I can sleep." Arthur grabbed her arm and knew she was right. He was hot and cold with her and he was going to change that. "Have dinner with me. Just as friends. Or if you want to walk on the wild side, with your third great God Brother." He meant it as a joke, but he watched her eyes fill. "Oh God. I'm sorry. Wrong joke to make right?" She looked at him and nodded. "And I am an ass. So have dinner with me. I want to know what you know about the Paladin and if you found anything different." She sighed and looked at him. "I can do that. When and where?" Arthur took a minute. "There is a room on this ship that has the best view. I will leave a trail for you to follow. How does seven thirty sound?" Bevin looked at him as he walked away. "Sounds perfect." She looked over the tape that Nick gave her and the tape she took from Quinlan. She looked them both over, but the glitch is what made her stop. Replaying Quinlan's tape, she noticed that the glitch was there after he got the tape. Her only question was why?

Bevin knew that she couldn't keep what she found a secret, but for the safety of the Paladin, she knew she had to, and got ready for the dinner she was set to have with the Elder. Finding a dress, she got ready and pulled her hair of of the braid and let it fall in loose waves down her back, grabbing a headband to make sure it stayed out of her face. Walking outside, she hid both tapes and knew that no one would find them even if they knew where to look, but if they did try to take the tapes, she left a few decoy tapes for the thief. She was nervous and didn't know what to do, walking the path that Arthur told her to look for. Finding the table and Maxson standing with his back to her, every cell in her body rooted her to the spot and then a second later screamed this was a bad idea. She cleared her throat, and he turned to look at her. His eyes went wide as he took in the dress. "You look. Wow. I always wondered what you'd look like in a dress, and now I know why Roger said that you were lovely in a dress. He was right." She looked at him and blushed. He walked over and kissed her hand and pulled out her chair, and when she sat down, he pushed in it and poured her a glass of wine. "Um Elder? I'm seventeen remember?" Maxson looked at her and shrugged. "I won't say a word if you don't." She laughed and raised her glass. "Fine by me. But I'm blaming you in the Elder finds out and wants to kick me off the ship." He roared in laughter and she grinned. "So what's on the menu?" Arthur smiled. It's a beef and vegetable dish. Everyone seems to love it and I can't figure out why." The lids were taken off and Bevin smiled. "I love this. I hope this is Roger's recipe." Arthur looked at her and nodded. "From what I can understand, he made this a lot for you and I wanted you to have something that made you smile." She grabbed her fork and noticed the Mirelurk meat in it. "I can't eat this." Arthur put down his fork and looked at her. "Why not? It's really good." She looked at the Scribe and felt her throat start to swell closed. "Can you get me to Cade if I stop breathing? Because I have a feeling that will happen in about thirty seconds." Arthur looked at the plates and knew why she wasn't eating. She quickly got up from the table and the Scribe helped her get inside. Getting to Cade's office was like swimming in syrup. Time felt like it had slowed down as Cade took a look at her and grabbed an Epi-Pen. "I had a feeling that dinner would send you here." She closed her eyes, as Cade jabbed her thigh. Following that up with a Stimpak, she laid down and waited for things to return to normal.

The next morning, she walked around the ship and noticed the Knights had a work out area. Finding some clothes to change into, she walked out of the locker room and she smiled at the treadmill. As she walked over, a few of the Knights watched her carefully, not knowing if she was friend or foe. "Relax guys. I'm just here for a ten mile run. I've been slacking in the two hundred plus years I was frozen." The men looked at her and realized they were talking to the Vault Dweller, and they moved out of the way. She slipped off her shoes and warmed up, and blocked everyone out. When she got on the machine, she started out at a jog and after a mile, she was running like she was escaping the enemy. Tuning out everything and everyone, she just ran. Danse and Nick found her there just running as they went about doing hand to hand combat. With half an eye on Bevin, both men worked out and she ignored them all. When the run was over, Bevin was breathing like she sat down in a chair. She grabbed a pair of boxing gloves and started hitting the bag, throwing in some Martial Art kicks into it. The Knights just watched her and that is where Maxson found all of them, in various stages of working out. A song came on and Bevin stopped. Moving to the music, she sang along, and everyone just watched her. She changed her workout to the song and blocked everything out and had fun. Sweat pouring down her body, she stripped off the t-shirt and the men just stared. She spun around and the Elder was the first to notice the jewelry in her belly button. Every eye ran down her body and she didn't care. "Knight? What is that?" She looked at him confused, and grinned. "Oh. You mean the belly button ring? Shhh. Don't tell Roger. He'd kill us all." She laughed and spun around and kicked the bag. Arthur was stunned that she could focus on one thing and deal with another. "When did you have it done?" She looked over her shoulder. "What?" He walked over and pointed at her navel. "When did you have it done?" She shrugged. "The day I was emancipated. I wanted to do something that I had wanted to do for a while. If that freaks you out, don't ask about the tattoo's I have." Arthur stared at her and for some reason he was pissed. "You got how many tattoo's and where are they?" She looked at her feet and flexed her toes. "Look down genius. I had them placed there the day Roger left and the day before the bombs fell. If you are going to pull the 'I'm older than you card', you can save it. We both know that you have two hundred and ten years on me, and I have a lot to learn, but I'm me and no one or anything can change that. Heaven forbid I start dating. We all know that you are going to have a massive problem with that." Arthur looked at her and knew she was right. "You're right and I'm sorry. I forget that you had a life before the bombs fell and if I insulted you or made your feelings invalid, I apologize." He looked at the men and walked away before he did something he would regret, like kiss her breathless. Bevin watched him leave, unsure of what to say. Walking back to the treadmill, she went for another run, and an hour later, her muscles felt like water. She looked at the clock and knew she needed to eat something, so she walked down to the dining hall where the cook handed her some toast and jelly. "Is there anything else you can make? I swear everyone else gets eggs and I get this." She pointed to the plate and looked at the cook. "Most of what I have you can't eat. It's a lot of shellfish. The Elder told me you were allergic to it so I figured toast and jelly would be better for you." She couldn't fault his logic or caring, but she wanted pancakes. "Have you thought about making pancakes? And non shellfish related eggs?" Before the cook could answer Kells walked in and looked at her. "Maxson wants a word with you. He tells me that you made the rank of Knight, so congratulations." He walked away and Bevin grabbed a cup of water and followed the Captain. She munched on her toast and walked into the Elder's office.

"Close the door behind you. What I have to say no one needs to hear." She closed the door and turned to him. "What have you found out concerning the Paladin?" She took a drink of the water and looked at him. "Well, I found a glitch. It might be from when Nick took the information from the Institute, but a dollar to a doughnut, it was tampered with before Quinlan released the tape to me. The only question I have is why? Why would the Proctor do this to a fellow member of your Army? It makes no sense to me, but I will keep digging. Was that all you needed?" He stood up and walked over to her. "Actually I was hoping you would return with me to Sanctuary Hills. I have something there I need to take care of and I was thinking you'd like to see your home. Or what's left of it anyway." She nodded and kissed his cheek. "I would love to go with you. I wanted to talk to someone about chickens." Maxson smiled and looked down at her. "Can you be ready in five minutes?" She looked down at what she was wearing. "I can be ready in thirty seconds. Be right back. Arthur knew she would take longer, and was surprised to see her a minute later. "Sorry I'm late. I had to tell the Paladin something. Are you ready to go?" Maxson looked her over and noticed the gun strapped to her hip and a pocket full of bullets. "Ready when you are." They both walked out to the waiting Vertibird and Bevin watched the buildings fly by. Landing in Sanctuary Hills, she was taken back in time and the ghosts of the past left like a lead weight and she had no idea what to do. Walking across the bridge, Preston met them and greeted the Elder like an old friend. "It's good to see you Arthur. Ma'am. How are you doing?" Preston watched Bevin walk away, and looked at Arthur. "Does she know?" Arthur nodded. "I'm not ready to take her to the Vault yet, but I have a feeling she's going to ask while we are here." He heard her scream and both men raced to where she was at. "Codsworth! I'm fine. Calm down or I will do a reset." Codsworth was babbling and she smiled. "It's been a bit Miss Bevin. Are you ok?" She nodded. "I am now. How have you been doing? Other than watching the property fall into disarray?" Codsworth looked at her. "I'm sorry. Your father would be upset if he seen the land now. I'm sorry, but I tried." She looked at him. "Are you serious? No one planned or wanted the bombs to fall, so none of this is your fault. But from what I can see, there are people here that are more than eager to make this place look better. So care to fill me in on what has gone on?" Preston looked at her. "We have done a lot of removal of debris and since we don't know who owns the land, we are afraid to do too much to the property. Codsworth told us you own the land, but I still didn't want to do anything without permission." Bevin looked at the man. "Codsworth told you the truth. I own the land and if you do any major demolition, you don't need my permission. In fact, as long as you all are living here, keep the place clean. Would you two mind excusing me for a moment. There is something I need to do real quick." Looking in her house, she knew where the safe that held the deed to the property was and didn't want anyone to know.

Walking to the safe, she knew her Father gave her the land and now she wanted to give it to someone who would care for it the way he did when she was growing up. Opening the safe, she grabbed a few things and found the deed. Putting Preston's name on it, she closed the safe and walked outside, the deed in hand. Seeing Preston and Arthur talking, it felt like old times to her. Men on the corner talking about mundane things and she sighed. "Are you alright Miss?" Bevin turned and looked at a man in overalls. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering things long passed. I'm Bevin by the way." The man looked at her. "Strugis. Nice to meet you." She shook his hand as Preston and Arthur walked over to them. "I hope to see you again Miss Bevin." She smiled. "It's just Bevin. I hate the word Miss. Makes me feel way too young for any of this." Arthur looked at her. "I hate to point this out, but you are too young for this." She looked at Preston and held out the deed. "Before you take this, I have a few conditions. One is that my house is not to be occupied, two the Vault on the hill is a no go zone. Meaning no one goes in or out. Three I am trusting you with the property and if at any point in time you cannot handle it, or my rules are not followed, I will reclaim what it mine and I will make sure the property sits empty and rots. Do we have a deal?" Preston looked at her and smiled. Holding out his hand, she took it and waited. "If anything happens to this place I will make sure to tell you before hand. I agree to your terms and offer one of my own. The Elder told me that you want chicken eggs. Can I be so bold and ask why?" She nodded. "The eggs everyone else eats I can't have or I can end up in a bad situation. Chicken eggs are not a problem for me to eat." Preston nodded and he looked at her. "I know of a place that has chickens, but there is a problem getting to them. There are raiders that have been taking the eggs for themselves and keep threatening the farmers if they don't give them what they can steal. One of their daughters was kidnapped and killed because she refused to give in to their demands." Bevin looked at him and nodded. "Tell me where and I will take care of them. No farmer should have their food stolen." Preston looked at Arthur and back to her. "The farm is two miles east of here. Are you sure you can handle them on your own?" She smiled. "I can handle whatever is thrown at me. I'm going to go alone and flush these raiders out." She walked away and Arthur had no choice but to follow her lead.

Bevin walked onto the farm as the raiders arrived and finding a sturdy tree, she climbed it and waited for Arthur to join her. "Be quiet or you'll give away our position." Arthur nodded as she pulled out the silenced weapon. Lining up her shot, she pulled the trigger and they both watched the raider fall and the others look around. Picking them off one by one, she waited to see if more came. When the farm door opened, she noticed a man and his words carried over to them. "I don't know who you are, but thanks. If you want we can talk about what you want." Bevin climbed down and the farmer drew his rifle. "Hold up there young lady. Did you do all of this?" Bevin looked at him. "I did. Preston told us what was going on and we came to help. Are you and your family ok?" The man looked at her. "We are. What can I do to repay your kindness?" Bevin looked at him with a gleam in her eyes. "Well I did hear that you have chickens. Would those chickens be the egg laying kind?" The farmer laughed and looked at her funny. "They are. Why?" Arthur looked at him. "Would you be willing to sell us the eggs? Price is not an object." The man looked at Bevin. "How many eggs do you want young lady?" Bevin smiled. "As many as you can spare." The man walked inside leaving Bevin and Arthur confused. He walked out with a few baskets and his wife. "We can give you sixty eggs a week. Is that an agreeable amount?" Bevin looked at him. "You are willing to give us five dozen eggs a week? That's very kind, but I can't take that many. What if you need some?" The man and woman looked at each other. "We eat what we can and sell the rest to traders, and quite frankly we have more than we could use in a year. Please. Take them as a token of our thanks." Arthur looked at the man. "We will pay you twenty caps a dozen. This way you can buy what you need. Does that sound fair?" The wife looked at Bevin. "What we could use right now is ammunition. We used the last few bullets we had scaring off the raiders." Bevin pulled every one she had out of her pockets and poured them into her hands. "This is to pay for the first ten dozen. I will be back with more bullets." The woman hugged her. "Thank you. This means a lot to us." Bevin squeezed her back. "You have no idea how much this means to me as well. If you ever need anything, get word to Preston and he will help get word to us." "Well thanks for coming to Abernathy Farms and I here is to an partnership built on eggs." Bevin laughed and helped the woman pack the eggs up for transport. "I have no idea how we are going to get all of these back to the Prydwen without breaking any of them." Arthur laughed and pulled out a flare gun. "Like this." He shot the flare off and a few seconds later, the Vertibird landed a few yards away and the Scribe that came with them helped carry the eggs, and they made their way back to the Prydwen.

Nick had no idea where the Elder was and he asked everyone. "I heard he went to talk to Preston Garvey the leader of the Minute Men. It seems he needed the Elder's help and Bevin went with him. Is there something you needed?" Nick shook his head. "I guess it can wait." He walked out of Kells office as the message came through from Arthur. "She did what? Color me impressed. And she is bringing back what? Really. Teagan is going to have a litter of kittens. Got it. Not a word. See you in a bit." Nick wanted to know what happened and he knew he could wait. He watched as the door opened and Bevin walked in carrying a box and she noticed Nick. "I need you to take these to the kitchen, but be very careful. There are eggs in that box. Tell the cook I got him some chicken eggs and I would love some scrambled eggs for lunch." Nick smiled and carried the box like it was full of precious China. He took the box to the kitchen and passed the message on to the cook and he got started on it. Bevin laughed and looked at Arthur. "You did great on your first mission. but I have to know how you learned how to be a sniper? We never had any in the BOS and I have to know who taught you." She looked at him and smiled, miming that her lips were sealed. "If I tell you, I'd give away my secrets and I'm not ready to do that yet. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get something to eat." She walked away leaving Arthur to watch her go. Smiling, he walked into his office and noticed Danse waiting for him wanting to talk.

Bevin walked into the dining hall and noticed the eggs steaming on the plate. "For you Miss. These are the eggs you got, and I would love to know how you came across them?" She looked at the cook as a man she had never met before walked in and sat at the counter with her. "I um, I helped a farmer with a small raider problem he had. I just need to know who I have to talk to about trading bullets for eggs." Teagan looked at her with a grin. "Excuse me. But you need to talk to who?" Bevin looked at him. "I need to know who I have to talk to about trading bullets for eggs. There is a farmer outside of Sanctuary Hills that has raiders that come and steal food from him and his wife. I helped them out and we struck a deal, I would give them bullets and they would provide the BOS with twenty dozen eggs a month. Do you know who I can talk to about the trade?" Teagan chuckled. "You must be the new Knight I have heard a lot about. I'm Proctor Teagan and I run the Stowage Depot. May I be so bold as to ask why you can't eat the Mirelurk eggs everyone around here can?" She nodded and swallowed the mouthful of eggs she had. "I am allergic to any and all forms of shellfish and Mirelurks are on that list. So chicken eggs are safe for me and I hope you are willing to help me." Teagan looked at her, charmed off his behind. "For you? I would love to help a young lady out. We could use more people like you around here." The cook set a plate of the chicken eggs in front of Teagan as well and he tried them. She cleaned her plate and took it into the back. "Why does she do that? I can wash the dishes myself." She handed him the clean and dried plate. "I know, but you have a lot going on and I thought I would make things a bit easier for you. I was always taught if someone cooks, I can at very least wash my plate. Unless you don't want me to." The cook looked at her humbled. "Well if you want to wash your plate, I see no problem with that. What is your favorite meal?" Bevin smiled. "I don't know if you can make it, but I love vegan sushi. I ate it a lot before the bombs fell and I don't think there is a way to make it now." The cook looked at her and smiled. "I will see what I can come up with." Bevin smiled, thanking the cook and walking out of the dining room. "Such a young thing to have the world be so messed up for her." The cook looked at Teagan confused. "What do you mean?" Teagan explained to him everything that happened to her and where she was from, and the cook was surprised. "I never would have thought. She needs friends to hang out with. Let me talk to a few Knights and see what they say." Teagan put his plate in the dish bucket and went back to work, thinking about his own way to help the young Knight.

Her tummy full, but her brain on alert, she walked into Maxson's office. "My Knights always knock on the door before they enter and you should know that by now." Bevin stared at the back of his chair. "Now that I know, I can do that in the future." His chair swung around and he looked at Bevin. "Good job today Knight. Color me impressed." She cocked her head to the side. "When did I become a Knight and why did I not get the memo about it? I think I should have been the very first person told about this." Maxson chuckled. "You were made a Knight due to Roger. He always knew you had what it took to be in the Army, but you always turned down his offer. You have done a lot for us here and I think you deserve it." Bevin knew that the Army conversation was bound to come up and she knew that he wanted nothing but full honesty from all the people who served under him. "The real reason I didn't join? I didn't want the life my Father and Brother led. I was happy being me and touring the world. I got to see what they didn't. What war really does to people and I can tell you war sucks and it never changes. No matter the time frame, or where. War comes for everyone and takes the best of people away from the ones they love and the live's they had. Let's be honest here for a moment. War bring pains to those who never asked for it, but what I did? The music? It brought joy in and with that? Hope, the hope that they would see their loved ones whole and not in a pine box with a Chaplin and an Officer at their front door saying they are 'sorry for their loss'. I never in a billion years thought I would get that visit, but I was lucky. It was Roger at my door with the news. If I could spare one person that pain I would have. War is a useless tool for one man to find different ways to kill his fellow human being. The battles I have lived through, and the one you did shape us in ways that no one ever gets to see, and it hurts." The knock on the door caused her to turn and notice Danse in the door way. "If you'll excuse me Elder, I need to take care of a few things." She walked toward the door and Danse looked at her. "Actually I need to talk to the two of you. May I come in?" Bevin knew what he was going to say, and she looked at Maxson. "I am resigning as Paladin. With the news that Quinlan dropped I feel that my being here is a treat." Bevin looked at Arthur. "Elder? I know that you are not ready for this, but I think we need to hold the trial today. Right now in fact." She walked over to the door and closed it. "I have something you both need to hear and I can tell you that you Elder will not like what I have to say." Maxson looked at her and knew this was bad.

William looked at her and then to Arthur. "What are you talking about?" Bevin smiled. "Remember when I told you that our ass is in the same sling? Give me a minute and I will get what I need from the lab." She opened the door as Virgil raised his hand to knock. "Well if it's the guy I was going to see if what I asked for was done. What ya got for me?" Virgil looked at her and she pulled him into the office. "Well since you asked so nicely, here are the results of the DNA blood tests you had me run. The only one that refused to give blood was Proctor Quinlan. He gave a hair sample." He handed a copy to Bevin and to Arthur. "Well what does it say?" She looked at Arthur and then to Danse. "Long answer or short?" Danse looked at her and felt his life fade away. "Just tell me." Arthur looked at Bevin and knew that Danse was waiting for his answer. "I do not accept your resignation. It seems that you are not the Synth Quinlan told me about when he forged the paper." Bevin looked at Danse. "I was wondering who and I figured it out. I have no idea what Quinlan has against you and I really don't know why because it's way above my pay grade, but Quinlan forged the paperwork and tampered with the tape Nick got out of the Institute. How do I know? Nick was smart to make a second copy, and when he remembered that I was a lawyer, and I would know what to do with the information he gave me. I looked over both tapes and I figured it out when I watched a glitch happen on the tape around the time that Quinlan took the tape from Proctor Ingram. And before anyone says anything about someone having access to the tapes, I hid the tapes and I left tapes around hoping that someone who wanted their secret kept that way would take them. Thing is, if the tapes are played, it emits a high pitched tone and I am the only one that knows how to turn it off." The knock on the door made her look up as Quinlan walked through it. "I was wanting to know when the trial was going to happen. No one wants the Paladin stripped of his rank and removed more than I. And can I get the tape back? There are still a few things that I want to look at." Bevin looked at Danse and then to Quinlan. "You'll have to excuse me, but I need to know why you hate the Paladin so much? What did he do to make you hate him so much? And the trial is happening now, and whatever you say is under oath and if you are lying, it's going to make things really bad for everyone not excluding you." Quinlan looked at the Elder and knew he had to be honest. "Since you are new, I'll indulge you. He came into the BOS and was the wonder boy. He made everyone look bad including me. So I waited until I go the tape back from the Institute and made it look like Danse was the enemy and I don't regret a thing. He needs to go and everyone else can go home." Bevin looked at him. "You know there was another tape right? Nick made the copy for you that you tampered with and the copy he gave me. And I have a feeling that the paper in my hand is going to tell us all who the real Synth is." She looked at the paper and her eyes went wide. "It's you. You are the Synth." Quinlan looked at her and pulled his weapon and pulled the trigger. She went down as Maxson and Danse both shot the Proctor. Virgil dropped to his knees and put pressure on the wound. "Stay with me Knight. You've come too far to die like this." She smiled at Virgil and the blackness took her under.

Maxson and Danse were both pacing, and neither Cade or Virgil would tell them anything. "She needs to make it." Danse looked at Arthur. "Agreed. But how do we explain what happened to the Proctor? Everyone is going to know something happened." Arthur looked at him. "I have a feeling she's a lot tougher than anyone gives her credit for. She will get through this, just like she did everything else." Cade walked out and wiped his hands to dry the water off of them. "Well, I have some good news. The gunshot missed her vital organs, and she will be ok in a few hours. The Stimpaks need time to work and I will let you know when she's awake. Care to fill me in on what happened?" Danse looked at Cade. "Quinlan was the Synth. He shot Bevin when the truth came out. I took care of him and he's not a threat to anyone else. He made it look like I was the Synth because he wanted me gone and dead. Bevin did what she does best and saved me. That is a debt that I can never repay her." Danse walked away, Maxson and Cade staring after him, unsure of what to say to him. Virgil walked out and looked at Arthur. "She's awake and asking for the Paladin. Something about the trial she wanted him to know." Cade looked at Virgil. "He just left, but I will see if I can find him." Cade walked off leaving Virgil and Maxson alone. "I would like to talk to her while Cade is looking for Danse." Virgil took Arthur to the bed she was resting on. "Well if you wanted to save the day, you did just that. What were you thinking?" Bevin opened her eyes and smiled. "Hey. I have no idea what happened, but I never want to do that again." Arthur looked down at her. "I'd hope not. You gave us a scare. How are you feeling?" She laughed and winced. "Why didn't anyone tell me getting shot hurts? I don't recommend it." Arthur laughed as Danse walked in. Looking at the Paladin, Arthur got out of the chair. "I'll give you some space." He looked at Bevin as he walked out the door. She looked at Danse and she didn't know what to say. "I told you I'd get you out of this." Danse looked at her, his eyes full of pain. "Yeah, but I got you shot. You and the Elder should have let me resign and none of this would have happened." She looked at him. "You must have hit your head or something, but I think if you had left, the Elder would have been a target, so you staying saved the Elder and we both know it. When I was in Law School I had a professor tell the class that there was going to be a case that made us think about more than just right and wrong, but who the case affected. By defending you, I defended the Elder. So I did a two in one job. Don't do this to yourself." Danse looked at her. "Do what?" She grabbed the cup of water on the table. "Think that you did something wrong, because you didn't. The Proctor did this to himself and there is no blame for anyone else. For what it's worth, you make an amazing Paladin and I don't think anyone could do the job you have and be as good." He looked at her and laughed. "I owe you my life Bevin. If you ever need anything, let me know and I will drop whatever I'm doing for you." Bevin smiled and looked at him. "I'll keep that in mind. I'm feeling sleepy so can we finish this conversation later?" Danse stood up and kissed her forehead. "Feel better Knight." And he left her to sleep, thinking of what he could do for her. He was in the workout room when the idea hit him like a laser blast.

Maxson looked at him. "You want me to do what?" William looked at Arthur. "I think that Bevin should be made Sentinel. She saved my life and yours as well. She brought up a good point. What would have happened to you if I was gone? Sooner or later Quinlan would have went after you and she knew it. I can't see anyone in that position but her, and I am standing for her on this." Arthur sat in his chair and for once didn't have anything to say.


	2. A Sentinel Found (Maybe)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxson makes Bevin an offer to become the BOS Sentinel and a lot of people are unhappy about it, and she turns him down. She leaves the BOS on her terms, but not before clashing with Piper and goes to Good Neighbor. When a heart is on the line, what will the answer be?

Bevin woke up and felt something was wrong. Looking at Cade, she had no idea what was going on. "Good Morning Bevin. How are you feeling?" She looked at the Doctor. "I feel like I got shot. From all of the talking, something is going on and not a lot of people are happy." Cade looked at her. "The Elder wanted to see you when you were feeling better. If you want I can tell him you are still recovering." She shook her head. "No, I'll see him. Hopefully he can fill me in on what is going on around here." She got up and left the medical unit. As she walked down the hallway, a Knight stopped her. "I know you are new here, but you don't make rank for surviving a gunshot. I can't believe he's passed all of us over for you." As she walked to his office, she was confused and had no idea what was going on. Knocking on his door, Danse opened it and grinned at her. "Good Morning Knight? How are you feeling or is that a dumb question?" She smiled at him. "I'm fine, just confused why the Elder wanted to see me. But then again I had a Knight tell me something about rank and getting shot. I am not sure what that means, but if I am making Paladin because I saved your behind, I don't want it. I want to earn it by going on missions and doing my part in all of this." Arthur stood up and looked at her. "You are not making Paladin. When you found out the truth about Quinlan, you were injured because you did your job and saved not only the Paladin, but me. When William came to me, he made the case for this and I had no other option but to agree. That is why I am granting you the rank of Sentinel. Congratulation Bevin. You earned it for your valor and willingness to do what is right and fair." The knock on the door caused Danse to open it and a few Knights walked in. "Sir. It is true that you are making her the new Sentinel? If you are, what did she do to deserve it? A lot of us have worked our asses off thinking you'd give it to one of us one day, not the new girl you are sleeping with. This goes against everything Roger stood for when he founded the Brotherhood of Steel." Bevin looked at Arthur and knew the Knights were right, but they were also wrong. Without saying a word, she left the room and knew she needed some space and time to think. William made a move to follow her out, but he knew talking to her had to wait for a moment. "Did any of you Knights stop to think about why she was shot? She found out that Quinlan lied and said I was a Synth. She worked her ass of to find the truth and when she told the Elder what she found, Quinlan shot her aiming to kill not only her, but the Elder, and myself. And to accuse her of sleeping with the Elder to make rank is really low even for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a young woman to find." William walked out and the Knights looked at Arthur. "I have nothing to add to what the Paladin said. Go and see if Kells has a mission for you to go on." The men walked out and did what the Elder told them to do. When Kells turned them away, they were at a loss as to what to do.

Danse found her pounding away bare knuckled on the punching bag, the tears making their way down her face. "I never asked for any of this. I certainly didn't want the rank the Elder gave me, so why did Danse assume I wanted it?" The voice made him pause. "Maybe the Paladin wanted you to have it. You did save his life and the Elder's. If I were you, I would be excited that the Elder chose you for this, people are going to say what they want, but you are a lot smarter than people think." Haylen noticed Danse standing there trying not to be seen. "I am, but I didn't want to be made Sentinel. I want to be me. I'm not even sure I belong here, and when everyone finds out I was made rank because Danse begged the Elder to give it to me, that's going to make things a whole lot worse. I don't want that rank. I never did, and I just wish that the both of them talked to me about it first. I have had every choice taken away from me, so what's one more right? My life was chosen for me, fuck being frozen in the Vault was chosen for me. This choice? I can walk away from and not feel guilty. But what do I know?" Haylen looked at her and nodded. "I think you should talk to both the Paladin and the Elder and tell them how you feel? They can't know unless you tell them." Bevin sat down on the mat, and wrapped her arms around her knees. "One of the Knights accused me of sleeping with Maxson just so I could get the rank. I haven't and I don't intend on sleeping with the Elder." Haylen looked at her confused. "I can see it, but why don't you take a risk for once? Who knows, you might help the Elder loosen up." Bevin looked at Haylen like she lost her mind. "Please tell me that you did not just say that. The Elder and I have a very complicated history. Or I should say that Roger and I have a very complicated history and I can't drag the Elder into my past. I have to leave and I swear on everything I know, no one will stop me. Maxson has Piper, and from the way the Paladin looks at you, he's crushing on you hard. And it hurts to want what everyone else has." Haylen looked at Bevin both in shock and confusion. "What do you mean about the Paladin?" Bevin sighed. "You cannot be that blind can you? I see the way he looks at you like there is no one else in the room, and I see the way you look at him. No one is blind. So take my advice with a grain of salt, but ask him out for once. Who knows, you might find you are better together than apart." She was finally aware that someone was there and without looking at Danse, she walked down the stairs and went outside to see Piper and Maxson having a heated argument, not wanting to get involved, she looked at the Pilot. "Can you take me somewhere that isn't here. There are too many people and I need some air." Maxson and Piper stopped fighting and they both looked at her and the Pilot. "Where would you like to go?" Bevin shrugged. "Don't care. Just drop me off where ever your fancy takes me." The Pilot laughed and Piper walked away from Maxson, and got on the Vertibird. "She'll go to Diamond City with me." Bevin looked at Piper and was so tired, she didn't argue. The plane started and they left, Piper knowing that she would never return and Bevin's mind was so conflicted, she didn't know what she wanted. "So wanna talk about it?" Bevin looked at Piper. "I'd rather not thanks. Look I know you probably hate the ground I walk on, but I am a pretty nice person once you get to know me. I had a life before the war and it sucks that everything I am is gone." Piper looked at her and sighed. "Did you and Arthur?" Bevin knew what she was asking. "Nope. He wasn't into me the way he is with you. He thinks I hold all of the answers to how Roger was, and I don't. Roger was a great man and I see that in Arthur, but he needs to let go of whatever issues he has." She looked out the window as they landed in Diamond City. They both hopped out and Piper looked at her. "Good Neighbor is about five miles to the North. I'd invite you in, but you wouldn't fit. This place is too classy for people like you." Bevin nodded and walked away, not hearing Piper say anything else.

Piper walked down the stairs as Nick was walking up, focused on whatever he was reading and Piper cleared her throat. "Hiya Nick. How ya been?" Nick looked up and Piper shivered. "Nick? What is going on?" Nick walked by her without saying a word, so Piper walked after him. "You knew that we were never a thing. We both decided that we were better friends than anything else. Please say something." Nick looked at her. "It's not the fact that we were never exclusive, but Bevin has been through enough and last night, the things you said, make me wonder if we should even be friends anymore. Want to know something? Bevin has an IQ level of one forty-five, and she could have done anything with her life before the bombs fell. Hell she was a singer and then she became a lawyer because it kept her mind busy. What right do you have to talk down to her, and treat her like she didn't matter. She lived through the nightmare of burying her Father, Brother, the Great War, being frozen for over two hundred years in a Vault and you have the nerve to look down on her? We are done Piper. I am through talking to you and I hope treating a young woman like trash was worth it. I wonder what you would have done if someone treated Nat the way you did Bevin?" He walked away leaving Piper with a lot to think about, and she knew that she would do whatever she wanted, and no one could stop her. Walking toward her home, she noticed a piece of paper, and the printing press taken apart. Reading the paper, she rushed inside to Nat. "Did you read this?" Nat nodded. "I was hoping it was wrong, so I went and talked to Nick. What did you do? The new Mayor wants us gone." Piper looked at her. "I may have made a giant mess of things. There was a sole survivor that came out of the Vault and from what I can understand, she was a big deal before the bombs fell. She went after Arthur Maxson and I staked my claim on him. I didn't realize doing that would also cast me my friendship with Nick." Nat looked at Piper, grabbed her book bag and walked out the door without saying a word to her sister. Piper looked around the place she called home for a long time and started packing up her and Nat's lives'. 

Bevin walked to Good Neighbor and on the way, she killed everyone that came at her. Looting the bodies, she put them into the duffel bag Haylen gave her and pretty soon the bag was getting full. Opening the door she walked in and looked around. A strange looking man walked toward her with a woman on his arm. "It'd be looking like she's in need of a meal." The man looked at her and a bell was ringing in his head. "Welcome to Good Neighbor. Passing through?" Bevin nodded. "And never coming back." Cait looked at her and smiled warmly. "You'd be welcome to rest here and go to the Third Rail. Tell White Chapel Charley Cait sent ye and he will hook you up with whatever ye be needin." Bevin looked at her and smiled. "Do you have any place I can trade this in at? I need whatever passes for money to get the fuck out of here." Cait looked at John and a voice was heard behind her. "Bevin? What are you doing here? I thought you were still on the Prydwen?" Bevin turned and looked at Nick. "You have got to fucking be kidding with me. I guess you didn't get the memo. I left and no one stopped me. I want to know if you were going to give my location away?" John looked at her and then to Nick. "You know her?" Nick nodded. "I do. She is the person I was sent to find. Little did I know that I'd find a human Popsicle." John looked at Bevin and he smiled at her. "I will take you to Kleo. She's the trader of all things fire power and she will cut you a good deal." He looked her over and her eyes threw him off. "I knew a girl a long time ago with the same color eyes. Perhaps you knew her." Bevin looked at him. "I doubt it, but maybe. Who was she?" John looked at Kleo and back at Bevin. "Her name was Bevin Oliver. She was an amazing person and I hoped that she's ok where ever she is." Bevin looked at him and smiled. "Well, she's right now talking to a man that knows her, and hoping that she can get the fuck away from people." John looked at Bevin. "If she is here, I'd ask her what her favorite saying was back then?" She laughed and looked at him. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. I never had one, unless it was me telling a random moron I was going to pound him to paste." John's eyes went wide as he looked at her. "Oh God. Bevin? You were frozen in the Vault?" She nodded. "I was, but I can't place your face. You're voice sounds the same though. How have you been?" He laughed and Kleo looked at the two of them. "Can I see what you've got?" John hauled the bag up and placed it on the counter. "Kleo, this young woman is a very old and dear friend. Treat her fairly, and don't you dare undercut her. Alright?" Kleo looked at Bevin and then to John. "I never do unless I don't trust the person. I will treat her fairly." Bevin watched John walk away and knew that he had changed, but not by much. "You knew the Mayor?" Bevin looked at the Assaultron. "I kept his ass out of prison a few times, but I never thought I would see him again. This world has changed." Kleo looked at Bevin and totaled everything and passed her a small bag of caps. "I needed a few of the weapons and they are worth their weight in caps alone. Come back in a few hours, and I can pay you for the rest of the things you have." Bevin nodded and walked away, not paying attention to the eyes that were tracking her. When she was walking to the Third Rail, she was bumped into and her caps taken. "Wait a second. Stop asshole." The man kept walking and John knew what was about to happen. The man huffed some Jet and she grabbed a trash can lid and flung it as hard as she could. The bang and metal hitting bone was loud and Bevin walked over to the man crumpled on the ground. John held up a hand to stop his men letting her handle the problem. She grabbed the caps and looked at him as he moaned. "The next person you pick pocket might not be as nice. If you ever have the idea to come near me, remember that I took you down and be afraid, because the next time, I might just blow your head off your shoulders." She turned on her heel and resumed her walk, and Cait watched what happened with John. "Well the lass can handle herself. How do you know her?" John smiled as Cait's arms went around his waist. "She was the youngest person ever to pass the Bar at sixteen I think, and she was the PD in charge of my case. I was innocent and we both knew it. I was acquitted of the charges when she got the cop to admit that he targeted me because of my hair. When the case was over, I asked her how she knew I didn't do what I was accused of. She looked at me and said 'your eyes told me everything I needed to know. I knew you were innocent when you walked in here" and I didn't know what she meant at the time, but I get it. When I looked in her eyes, I knew she didn't deserve what has happened to her." Cait looked at him and sighed laying her head on John's shoulder, and watched Bevin sit down on the bench.

Nick walked over to her and sat down beside her. "I won't tell anyone where you are, but I have to ask if you were serious about leaving?" She looked at him. "Where would I go Nick? I think I'm going to go back to the Vault and live my life there, away from people, because let's face it. I've been hurt way too much to deal with the bullshit going on. Why should I keep subjecting myself to being treated like I don't exist? I lived for a reason. If the Elder asks, you talked to me in passing and that was it. Just don't tell him I went back to the Vault." Nick nodded. "Not a word from me." She stood up and walked into the Third Rail, hoping to forget her life. Walking down the steps she heard talking and the hiss of a Mister Handy and she thought of Codsworth. "What can I getcha?" Bevin looked at the list and smiled. "I need your best whisky, and to be left alone. I'm not sure if this matters but the lady with the Mayor said to come here and talk to a White Chapel Charley. Are you him?" The robot looked at her and put tow bottles on the table, and she pulled out some caps. "Your money is no good here. You must be Bevin. The Mayor sent word you were here and I had to make sure you had whatever you wanted." Bevin blushed, grabbed the bottle and looked at him. "Keep that bottle for later. I have a feeling I'm going to need it. I'll be back for it." Charley took the bottle and put it on the shelf, and placed a glass on the counter. She walked away with the bottle and she stopped. Turning to the yelling, she walked into a back room to two men reading the riot act to a man sitting calmly in a chair. "Do you think you three morons could possibly shut the fuck up? People would really love to drink without hearing the lover's spat." Robert looked at her and so dis the two men too stunned to say anything. The two men looked at the man in the chair and then to her. "We were just leaving." One of the men reached for the bottle in her hand and she broke his wrist. "This is mine. Get your own." The two men left leaving her and the man alone. The man looked at her and grinned. "You do have a mouth on you, but thanks for getting them to leave." She looked at him and said nothing. "I'm Robert McCreedy and you are?" Bevin looked at him. "Not your concern. Now I can drink in peace and quiet." She pulled the cork out and took a deep pull from the bottle, and ignored his chattering. Sensing she wasn't in the mood to talk, he went silent. "So what brought you here?" She looked at him and sighed. "Look I really am not in the mood to talk, so go back to being quiet. I liked you better that way." Robert looked at her and she knew she crossed the line. "I'm sorry. I'm new to the whole 'interact with people' nonsense, so no offense, but I'd just rather not be a people person right now." Robert looked at her and grinned. "You act like you've been in the Vaults for a long time and just now catching up to the real world." Bevin looked at him and was pissed. "Up until about twoish weeks ago, I was frozen in Vault one-eleven. So do us both a favor and go." Robert looked at her stunned. Sputtering words she didn't care to hear, Cait walked in and looked Robert over. "I hope you're not harassing the customers now are ye Robert?" Bevin looked at Cait and sipped from the bottle. "Nope, but he does have a mouth problem." Cait looked at Bevin with a smile. "And what would that be?" Bevin snorted. "He needs glue to keep his mouth shut. He keeps blathering away and I just want some quiet in my life." Cait looked at Robert and Bevin shook the bottle. "Fuck my life. Be right back." She sauntered off as Robert watched her walk away. "They don't make them like her anymore. No offense Cait." Cait chuckled. "Be after minding your manners Robert. She is a very old friend of the Mayor's and he will kick yer arse if you mess with her." Bevin walked back in the room and tried to pull the cork out, and noticing it, he walked over to her and pulled it out and put it in his pocket. "Thanks. I don't know who made this, but they are a genius. I wonder if I'm breaking the law drinking underage? Meh. Who cares at this juncture in life. We're all gonna die at some point right?" Robert and Cait both looked at her. "Just how old are you?" Bevin sighed. "The last time I checked I was seventeen and my birthday is in two weeks. Yay me." Robert grabbed the bottle before it touched her lips and replaced the cork. "Hey! Give that back, or I go tell the Mayor." Cait looked at Bevin's eyes as they fired. "Jeesus Robert, I never told ye to take the bottle from her. John wants her happy, so give the lass back the bottle and walk away." He did what Cait told him and Bevin chirped in happiness. "Rob? Go tell Charley to give you as many beers as you want. I'm paying the tab." Robert walked away and did what Cait asked, as she sat across the room from Bevin. "What's on your mind lass? A woman doesn't just come to Good Neighbor alone for no reason." Bevin sighed. "I needed to get away from everyone that thinks they know me. Or who I was anyway. Look, I've already had one person push my buttons already and since I have no idea who in the fuck you are or the man who keeps trying to talk to me, but I don't want to people right now. No offense." Cait roared in laughter. "It's alright lass. We all have our issues. John told me you used to be a lawyer." Bevin pulled from the bottle and nodded. Swallowing the mouthful she looked at her. "I did, and your Mayor was one of the few I liked working with. It figured he'd fall for a girl like you." Cait looked at her confused. "What do you mean?" "The type who refuses to pull their punches. You two fit and I am happy for him. Now if I could find what you two have, I think I could be happy."

Nick heard the message from the Paladin and the second from the Elder, and he knew he couldn't hurt Bevin like that. "I can't do that Elder. I have no idea where she went. Piper told me she asked for the nearest place to go and Piper told her a settlement near a quarry. I'm going to check it out in the morning and I will let you know what I find out." He hung the CB up and walked to the Third Rail knowing that she was last seen there. He heard the music before he seen her on the stage belting out a jazz number and the usual singer sipping Gin at the bar tapping her foot along to the song. Bevin was having a ball it looked like and he noticed Cait and a strange man watching over her. Sitting at the table, Nick knew the song. "I didn't realize that was a jazz tune? Learn new things daily." Cait looked at Nick. "What's eating yer hat Nick?" His yellow eyes looked into her grey ones. "It's nothing. I think I can handle it." Cait watched as Bevin wobbled off the stage with a laugh as the people in the bar was clapping. "It's been a long time doing that. I forgot what the sound of people clapping for me. Can I get another bottle?" Cait looked at her and Robert looked at Cait and then to Bevin. "I think you've had enough Tiger. How about we get you a room and you can sleep it off, and do it again in the morning?" Bevin looked Robert over and she smiled. Nick knew what that smile meant and he looked at Robert. "Abort Mission. Abort Mission! She's about to run you over." Robert looked at Cait and Nick. "What?" Bevin walked over to him and looked in his eyes. "Well the Mayor did say to keep me happy. Want to join me in the room? I really hate sleeping alone." Robert turned three shades of red and forgot how to think as she looked up at him. Looking at Nick for help, he got nothing. She grabbed his beer and chugged it. "On second thought, I think I'm gonna close the bar down." She weaved a little and Robert stared at her and then got angry. "All right young lady, you've had enough. Let's go." He took her arm and Bevin lost her temper. "I do what I want and I don't answer to you, so go away and let me get drunk in peace." On a sigh, Robert threw her over his shoulder and she started to beat his back with her fists. "Put me down! You don't have the right to touch me. No man does." Robert ignored her until she took his hat off and threw it in the air. Placing her on her feet, he looked at her. "You are not too old for me to spank your ass. Go get my hat. It means more to me than your Vault." She looked at him and tears filled her eyes making him feel guilty as hell. She grabbed his hat and handed it to him without a word. He walked with her to the Hotel Rexford. "I have a single room left. You two love birds want it?" Robert looked at the woman and smiled. "It's only going to be her. She's the Mayor's VIP." The clerks eyes went wide and she grabbed a fancy looking key. "The first room on the left is ready for his guest. Let me know if you need anything." Robert got Bevin in the room and set her on the bed. "Have a good night. I got you here and I am leaving." Bevin stood up and rushed to the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her and threw up everything in her stomach. Finding a toothbrush and toothpaste, she brushed her teeth and walked back to the bedroom and sat back on the bed. "And another one leaves. Great track record Bevin." She pulled the blankets back and got into the bed and tried to close her eyes, but they filled with tears and she cried herself to sleep.

Robert felt bad for walking out on the girl, but he knew if he stayed he would get into a lot of trouble. Staying in the lobby, he watched the sun come up and waited for her to come out of the room. After an hour, she still hadn't came out and he was starting to get worried. Walking to the door, he tapped on it. "Go away. I'll leave in a bit." He heard her voice break and he tried the door knob and it turned in his hand. Walking in, he noticed her still in bed. "Want to talk about it?" She looked up as he walked in. "Not really. How did I get here?" He looked at her. "I did. You're welcome by the way." She looked at him and then to the blanket. "Thanks. If there is something you need to do, I don't need a baby sitter. I think I can find my way around." Robert looked at her, fake shock crossing his face. "You really don't like people do you?" She looked at him and sighed. "I meant no offense, I just figured you had something to do other than watch over me. I'm not doing this right. If there was something that you had to do, I understand if you don't want to stay." Robert grinned. "As it seems, you are what I have planned." She looked at him and turned bright red. "And I for my next trick I will attempt to pull both of my feet out of my mouth." Bevin roared with laughter and she couldn't stop. Giggles turning into sobs, Robert walked over to the bed. "Want to fill me in on your problem? I can listen more than I can talk." She shook her head and he rubbed her back. "You have no idea what to do?" She nodded. "Everything that I do somehow goes wrong. I had my heart shattered by a guy I was hoping like me, but he just wanted to know how his family was before the bombs fell. I have no idea what is right and wrong anymore and I just want to go as far away from this place as I can." Robert looked at the floor. "Well that was his loss. He screwed himself and lost from what I can glean from Cait, a pretty amazing girl. I know we just met, but I can tell you that he will be kicking himself later." She looked at Robert and sighed. "I guess." Robert looked at her and knew he had to prove her wrong. Pulling her to her feet, he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. Bevin felt like she was hit by lightening. She whimpered and Robert pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss. As quickly as he kissed her, he let go and broke the kiss off. Chest heaving, she looked at him. "What? Why did you end it? I was enjoying it." Robert looked at her. "I did as well, but are you doing this to prove something to him, or to yourself?" She stared at him stunned. "No one. You kissed me and I enjoyed it. Is it because I'm younger than you?" Robert wanted to say no, but it was her age that tripped him up. "I wish I could say no, but it is. You are way too young for me to get involved with. I never should have kissed you." He didn't see her hand come up, until it was too late to block it. She opened the door and rushed out, leaving her caps behind. Picking up the bag, and his face throbbing, he knew Cait would make sure she got them.

Bevin knew it was way too early for a bottle of whisky, but she didn't care. The guard at the top of the stairs let her in and she went into the basement and noticed the singer from last night sitting at the bar moaning. "I don't want you singing if you're sick Magnolia. You can do more damage. You take the night off and the people can deal with the radio." Bevin looked at her and then to Charley. "I'll do it. I think I can cover for her until she feels better." Charley and Magnolia both looked at her. "No offense, but I think you are a little too young to be singing the blues." Bevin looked at Magnolia and sang the Jazz song that was her father's favorite. When she was finished, she opened her eyes to see Magnolia and Charley staring at her. "I thought you were playing around last night. If Charley agrees, I would love for you to take my place." Both women looked at Charley and his robotic sigh gave nothing away. "Let talk to the owner and I will let you know. Now what can I get ya?" Bevin sighed. "She will have coffee, and don't add anything to it." The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she turned to meet the face of a pissed off Danse and Maxson standing right behind him. Choosing to turn the stool around and ignore them, but coffee was sounding better than whisky, Charley poured her a cup and she took a sip and blanched. "Dear God on a sheet. What did you use? Paint thinner?" Charley looked at her. "I only make a small pot for the Boss when he comes in and wasn't expecting to see you here. Is there a problem with it?" Bevin looked at Charley her eyes wide. "Nope. My Mister Handy scorched more coffee than I care to admit, and I just got used to it. Besides I like my coffee how I like my men. Strong, silent, and knows when to leave me alone." She took the cup and walked away. "Be here at nine and bring back my cup." She laughed and walked back up the stairs, leaving Danse and Maxson to follow after her. Knowing she only had ten seconds, she ducked behind a wall and waited for them to go away. "She was just here Elder. Where did she go?" The doorman looked at the two men. "Who are you looking for and maybe I can help." Bevin knew that if the doorman gave her up, she would have him fired or fired. "She's about five foot four inches tall, red hair, and blue eyes. She had to have walked past you." The doorman looked at the two guys and to the door. "I have no idea what you just described. I'm blind so your description on her makes no sense to me." Bevin held her breath as both men swore. "You take one end of this place and I will take the other. We meet in the middle and hopefully one of us has found her." Danse agreed and she heard both men leave. "You can come out now. They left." Bevin popped out and looked at the doorman. "Now all I have to do is stay out of sight. You're not really blind right?" The doorman laughed. "Only when it pays to be. Who were those two guys?" She sighed. "No one of any importance." She walked out making sure to look around the corners to make sure she wasn't spotted.

Cait had just stepped out of the State Building when she heard a voice behind her. "Please come back Bevin. Piper was a mistake and I miss you. Please come back to the Prydwen." Cait turned around and looked into the face of a shocked Elder. "I take it you have been looking for a lass yay high longer, and darker red hair than mine? If so, I haven't seen her and if I do, I will make sure she stays away from you, in fact I think you need to leave and leave Miss Bevin alone. She talks when she's been drinking and I know all about you Elder Maxson, and how did you think she was going to react? She would let it go and you two could carry on? It doesn't work that way. A person's heart is not a toy to be broken." She walked away giving Arthur a lot to think about, and he walked around and just thought about all of the mistakes he made with her, and he just wanted a chance to start over with her. He heard her laugh and watched as she was walking by him. "Bevin? May I have a word with you?" Bevin looked at him and back to the man she was with. "Thanks for finding this. You are a life saver. Oh hey. Remember last night? When I was on stage?" The man nodded. "I think everyone heard about last night, but what's up?" She chuckled. "I went in this morning and I heard Charley and Magnolia talking and she is so sick that I offered to fill in for her, and as soon as Charley talks to his boss, I am going to be singing tonight. Is that awesome or what?" Robert looked at her and hugged her. "That's great. Can you get me on the list?" She laughed and nodded. "I can try." She brushed by Arthur and he grabbed her arm causing her to stop and look at him. "I have nothing to say to you Mister Maxson, now if you'd please let go of my arm, I need to get ready for tonight." She looked at Robert and on her cue, he walked away leaving the two of them to talk. "I am busy so cut to the chase already." Arthur looked at her and sighed. "I miss you on the Prydwen, and I would give anything to have you back on the ship where you should be. Look nothing happened between Piper and I and if you think something did, you are wrong. If you want me to beg I will. If you want me to beg on my knees, I will. Just please, please come back. The Prydwen feel empty without you there." He looked at her and she was looking away. "With a plea like that how could I say anything other than go fuck yourself. I don't want you and it was my mistake thinking that I needed you. So do us both a favor and fucking leave already. I am finally doing what I want and I don't want or need you around me. I was great before I met you and I am even fucking better after you. I am so glad I never slept with you or that would be on the long list of regrets I have. That would be the second after meeting you. Have a nice life Elder. Marry Piper and be happy and know that I am the same." He dropped her arm and she walked away, knowing that he couldn't see the tears that were threatening to fall. She walked by Danse blind and noticed that the Elder was pissed about something. "Let's go Elder. She is finally happy." Danse had no idea what happened, but he knew it wasn't good. They returned to the Prydwen and Maxson went to his quarters alone and knew he needed something to get her attention. Looking around the room, he noticed the Maxson family ring that every male in the Maxson line gave to their intended. He grabbed it and got on the waiting Vertibird to take him to Good Neighbor.

Bevin put every thought of the Elder out of her mind and performed to a packed house and she loved it, but she knew this was a one time only thing. Getting lost in the music, the music turned sad and she poured out her heartbreak into the song unaware that Arthur was sitting in the dark corner listening to her voice and it took all of his willpower not to stand up and pull her off the stage and take her away from this. As she sang, the tears were falling down her face and he knew he was the cause, and it broke the walls down around his heart. As the song ended, she looked at the people who listened to her. "Thanks for coming out and I hope you all come back to hear the real star of the show Magnolia." As the clapping died down, she disappeared and Arthur stood up and scanned the crowd for her. Sitting back down, a male's voice made him jump. "She knows you're here and she wants to talk to you. Come with me." Robert stood up and Arthur followed suit. Walking down the narrow hallway, the door opened and Arthur walked in and seen Bevin sitting at the table taking her make up off and humming to herself. "Your guest has arrived Miss?" She looked at Robert and nodded. "Thanks, it will only take a minute." He nodded and closed the door behind him. "I thought I asked you to leave?" Arthur looked at her beautiful face in the low lamp light and did the only thing he could think of. He got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box and opened it. "Marry me Bevin Maxson Oliver." Bevin looked at him stunned and confused, unsure of what to say.


	3. Let me Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxson bites the bullet and proposes to Bevin and she refuses. What does she do when his plane is shot down and he is missing. Does she go with her heart? Or does the near death of the Elder cause her to finally take a look at her life? A medical emergency leaves Bevin's life hanging in the balance. How does everyone react when Bevin has no idea what happened or who anyone is.

"Marry me Bevin Maxson Oliver." Bevin looked at him and knew her answer was no. "I am sorry that you came all this way to do this, but my answer is no. I can't marry you because you think it's a way to get me to forgive you. Well it didn't work and you wasted your time and mine. I want to marry a man because I am head over heels in love with him, not because he feels there is a bond between us that was never there. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going back to my place and going to bed." She walked out of the room, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts. A few minutes later, he straightened his clothes and left the venue and a few minutes after take off, the Vertibird exploded raining debris over Good Neighbor. And Bevin was so tired, she slept through it all.

Kells watched in horror as the Vertibird was there one minute and gone in the blink of an eye. Praying for a miracle, he hoped that whoever was on board got out. "He will make good dinner." Arthur was barely aware of where he was and what happened. "Mmm. He will make fine meal for us Mutants." Arthur knew he was in trouble and no way to let anyone know. The pounding on the door got more forceful each time the door was hit. "Five more minutes dad. I crammed for the test last night." The knocking stopped and heard a key open the door, and she was shaken awake. "Bevin! I need you to wake up. Arthur is missing and we know you were the last one to see Arthur alive. Did he come back?" Half asleep, she sighed. "Yeah, he came and proposed marriage. Told him no and came here." Her eyes flew open in a panic as the news Danse told her worked through her brain. "What? Is this a joke? Please tell me it's a joke! When did it happen? Where did it happen? Tell me what you know Danse." He told her what he knew and she threw on some clothes. "Take me to the wreckage. I need to know what happened." Danse looked at her and noticed the tears forming. "Are you going to be ok?" She nodded and then shrugged. "I need to know Danse. Did he die because of me? What was he thinking?" She started to shake and her breathing came out in gasps. "Calm down. Here." He tossed a bottle of pills and her and she opened the bottle and took five of them, chasing them with the can of water that was always in the room. Feeling her nerves calm, she knew what she needed to do. "I need to see a woman about a massive amount of weapons. Let's go." She braided her hair at a run and Robert had no idea what was going on, but he had a feeling it was bad. Racing to Kleo's she looked at the Assaultron. "I don't have time to explain, but I need a weapon that will put a hole in a body. What do you have?" Kleo looked at Bevin and chuckled in evil mirth. "Now you're talking." She pulled out several weapons and Danse whistled. "That is what I call locked and loaded." Bevin looked at the robot. How much for those two?" Kleo handed her the modified missile launcher. "For you? Two caps, and five for all thirty missiles. Pointing to sniper rifle, Danse was confused. "That right there is twenty caps. You can kill a target from a mile away. The bullets are free, because I really want to get rid of the gun and bullets." Bevin smiled. "I will take the sniper rifle. I think it would work better than the missile launcher anyway. She paid for the gun and they left Good Neighbor and twenty feet away, the smoking wreckage of the Vertibird was still there. As they got closer, Bevin heard voices and she stopped. "He will fill our bellies tonight." She looked at William and knew they were talking about the Elder. Lining up her shot, the Super Mutant never knew what hit him. She took out the ones she could, and Danse took out the rest. As they climbed the tower, she knew there were more waiting and Arthur didn't have much time left.

He felt his arm shatter and he screamed out in pain. "Yes. Scream louder puny human. Bring more to us." He pressed down on Arthur's broken arm and the scream was heard half a mile away, causing the raiders to stop and shiver, thankful that it was someone else and not any of them. Bevin heard the scream and was out for blood. She just hoped Arthur passed out from the pain. Making her way up the stairs, her brain working to stay calm, she had an idea. Looking at Danse, she smiled at him. "What are you thinking?" She had no idea what she was doing, but if it was his life for hers, she knew he would go on with his life and be happy with another woman. Creating a plan on the fly, Danse was watching her face. "What are you thinking Bevin? If you have an idea I would like to know." She crouched down and knew that it was harder for the Paladin. "I'm going to trade my life for his. That is if the Mutants are willing to trade with his life for mine. I've lived far too long and I am ready to be with my Father and Drew. Being here hurts and I was hoping that the Vault would at some point blow up with me in it. I know Arthur thinks I'm the one who can tell him everything about Roger, but I can't. I never could. Roger was an undefinable man and I see the same things in Arthur that Roger was. If they refuse, I will get him out any way that I can." William looked at her and he knew she was having a hard time. "Danse? Did you know that he was coming to propose to me?" Danse shook his head. "No one did. What did you tell him?" Hearing the foot steps, she held her breath, and when they went away, she looked at the floor. "I told him no. I couldn't tell him the yes he wanted to hear, because he feels guilt for whatever he did, and honestly, I don't ever want to get married or have children because I am so afraid I'm going to turn into my mother that it scares me." William looked at her and for once had nothing to say. Another scream rent the air and Bevin was ready to get the Elder home.

She climbed the stairs and her heart was full of lead. Creeping to the door, she watched Maxson writhing in pain and she knew she had to get him out. "You cannot keep us here. I demand that we be let go." She crept up behind the Mutant. "Why are you doing this to me? I tried to teach you brutes culture and now you want to kill me? What did I do to any of you?" Bevin was ready to shoot the whiner, but her baser instincts won out. "You die first radio man. The man in coat goes next and the one who took pity on you goes last. Say prayers for quick death for all of you." Bevin walked into the Mutant's line of sight. "And what if I have a problem with you eating the man in the coat? He's mine and I will kill you for what you've done to him." The Mutant raised his gun and looked at her. "You want to die?" Bevin looked the Mutant in the eyes and knew the time had come. "I have since I woke up in the Vault. I have lived a long time, even by your years. I am open to trade you my life for the man in the coat's. He can tell your children about their mom and how amazing she was." Maxson swallowed the pain and let her keep talking. She backed up to the cage and the Mutant looked at her. "You have children?" She closed her eyes and nodded. "Two tiny babies. Twins in fact and they need their father. Me they can live without. Please let me take his place." The Mutant looked at her. "Fine. He goes and you stay." Bevin knew she was ready for death to come. The Mutant opened the cage and drug Arthur out and she took his place. "Get Arthur out of here. Make sure he's ok and tell the kids whatever you need to about me." She winked at Danse and he nodded, putting Maxson over his shoulder and taking the outside elevator. She watched both men leave and her heart broke all over again. "Why did you do that? You should have got me free as well. I want to get out of here and you ruined my chance." Bevin blocked his whining out and looked at the tall Mutant cowering in the corner. "Hey Green Skin?" He looked at her and she noticed the fear in his eyes. "What does puny human girl want?" She sighed. "I just want to know if your kind sleeps?" He nodded and she smiled. "We sleep, but there is an awake guard in case food tries to escape. Why you want to know?" Bevin watched the Mutant walking around. "No reason. Just trying to learn." The Mutant closed his eyes and that gave Bevin an idea. Humming a lullaby, she watched the guards eyes droop, and she kept humming, hoping he would fall asleep. Pretty soon, everyone around her including the whining man was asleep and she made her move. Slipping through the bars, she walked away and knew that there was going to be a problem when they woke up and found her gone. A green arm wrapped around her wrist. "Get out and save yourself. You have a family." She shook her head still humming and grabbed the key to the cell. Opening it, the Mutant grabbed the man and they walked out the same way she walked in, and no one stopped her.

Danse got Arthur as far away as he could before he stopped. Arthur groaned and looked at Danse. "Did Bevin get out?" Danse didn't want to lie, but Arthur deserved the truth. "She traded. She traded her life for yours. She wanted you to go on and that she was ready to be with her Father and Brother. She saved you Arthur and she isn't here to know it. William lit the flare and the sounds of a Vertibird was soon heard. Getting Arthur on, they left and didn't see her watch them leave. Bevin knew that if Arthur thought she was dead, he could be find someone that would make him happy because she knew he deserved it. She looked at the radio man and the mutant by his side. "I never thought I would ever get free. Come on Strong, let's get out of here." The Mutant looked at her and to the man. "Rex, she risked her life for you and you don't thank her. Where is the 'Milk of Human Kindness' you told me about?" Rex rolled his eyes and walked away and with a bone crushing hug, Strong followed behind Rex, and Bevin walked back to Good Neighbor hoping to find something that made her happy, but she wasn't sure she ever would.

Cade was ready to meet the Paladin and Elder unsure of what happened, but he knew Danse would tell the story when they got back. The Vertibird didn't have a chance to dock before Danse was out and was getting the Elder out. "Is he ok?" Danse looked at Cade. "I got a Stimpak into him, but I am not sure. Take care of him Cade." Cade nodded and looked at the Paladin. "Was Bevin with you?" He shook his head. "She traded her life for his, and I had just enough time to get Arthur out." Cade nodded and his heart was heavy. "He will never forgive himself for her death." William nodded and knew the same thing. Getting Arthur inside, Cade took an x-ray of his arm and found out a few of his ribs were fractured as well. Getting the Elder taped up and treated felt hollow and the mood on the Prydwen was heavy. Getting several Stimpaks into the Elder, all they could do was wait.

SIX WEEKS LATER

Bevin was tired, but she was starting to find what made her happy. She was singing on the days Magnolia was off, and people loved it. She knew that her life was empty, but she pushed the feelings aside. On her last night for three weeks, she walked into her dressing room and didn't notice anything off. Walking to the bathroom to wash the make up off, she did what she always did when the water was running, she cried for everything she lost and looking at the calendar, she knew why. Getting dressed, she left the Third Rail and went to her apartment at the Hotel Rexford. Looking around the room, she got into bed and let the dreams come. Waking up the next morning there was a knock on her door, before the key was entered in the lock and the door opened to Robert standing there. "Are you ready? The trip is a long one when you have to walk everywhere." She closed the notebook and put it on the bedside table. "You don't have to come with me you know. But it's nice that you are." Robert held the door open for her and she froze, thinking she had seen Maxson's battle coat, and when the man turned, she sighed in relief. Nick filled her in on what was going on and he kept what she told him between the two of them. She walked outside and for once the day was heavier than she wanted. Robert knew she wasn't in the mood to talk, and he was quiet on their walks. Getting to the place her family was buried, she walked over to the graves and sat in the grass. "Hi Dad and Drew. I know it's been a long time since I came here, but I wanted to let you both know that I am here. Dad, you were always the one who would always guide me, and I need a sign. Something to tell me that all of this? Everything that happened means something. I can't keep being strong by myself. I need to know that you are here and you are keeping me safe." She heard the Vertibird land and didn't look up, the hood of the jacket keeping her hair and face covered. "Are you sure their graves are here?" She heard Arthur's voice, but she didn't look up. "The Scribes found them and told me they were here. What is so important about today Arthur?" Two hundred and eleven years ago, Bevin buried her Father and Brother here, and I wanted to be the one to tell them she gave her life for mine and I will never forgive myself for her death." Bevin kept her head down and she turned her body away and stood up, walking toward Robert as the tears fell. "Mister Oliver? Hi I'm Arthur Maxson, but you probably already knew that. I am so sorry about failing your daughter. She gave her life for mine and I never asked her to. Roger was right about her. She is the rarest of flowers that bloom once in a lifetime and I crushed her light. I know we have never met, but your daughter was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am so sorry that I couldn't protect her." Danse looked over to the couple and Bevin held her finger to her lips and walked away. She was telling him she was alive but not to tell Arthur. With a nod, he turned back to his Arthur and waited for him to finish the one sided conversation.

Bevin and Robert walked back to Good Neighbor and they took their time getting back. "I know I never asked about what happened, but how are you doing?" She looked at the road in front of her and her mind was a mess. "I'm fine. I can't be anything else. If I fall apart, then my world is altered and I don't need that. I am glad that the Elder is better. I was the reason he was almost killed and it's better if I stay away from him. Robert, can you keep a secret?" Robert looked at her and nodded. "The night that the Elder came to see me, he proposed, and I turned him down. I knew that the reason I said no is because I knew he was trying to make up for hurting me and I couldn't do it, even though everything in me was screaming to say yes. But I couldn't do it. I am so afraid to turn out like my mother that it scares me. And I can't put someone else through that." Robert looked at her and had no idea what she was talking about. "What did your mom do Bevin?" Bevin sighed. "I'll explain later, but as soon as we get back, John wanted to talk to me about something. I'm in no hurry to get back, so let's take our time." A few minutes later, Arthur was done and he looked at his friend. "I know she's alive, I heard Nick talking about it and I need to talk to her and make sure she's ok." William looked at him confused. "After what happened six weeks ago, I don't think that is possible. She won't see me and that is saying a lot." Arthur sighed. "At least you didn't propose to her only to be shot down, and then be literally shot down. I need to know what she was thinking and to thank her." William sighed and knew things could go wrong again. "Give her more time Arthur. If she wanted to talk to you, she would have reached out already." Arthur smiled and looked at his friend. "Did you know she went back to singing? And she's performing tonight in Good Neighbor. I think Kells would love to hear some great Jazz music." He walked back to the Vertibird and William knew things were about to go wrong.

Bevin looked at John confused. "Wait. You want me to do what?" John and Cait smiled at her. "Magnolia wants more than two nights off a week and since you are drawing quite a crowd, I want to offer you three nights a week. And Magnolia can do four, and at the end of the week, you and her can switch weeks. We would love to have you here." Bevin looked at John and Cait. "So you're not kicking me out?" John and Cait looked at her confused. "No. We love having you here." Bevin sat down and burst into tears and Cait walked over and sat down on the couch next to her. Patting her back, Bevin looked at John. "This means I need to find a place of my own. I can't keep staying in the hotel. It's getting too noisy, and people knocking on my door in the middle of the night." Cait handed her a key and Bevin looked at it. "This is a key to your own place behind Kleo's place. She is on duty all day every day and she will be willing to keep you safe. What do you say?" Bevin looked at the key ans squeezed it like a lifeline. "When do I start?" John looked at her and handed her a cigar box. "You already have. This is your weekly take from when you perform. Charley has said that whatever money is made when you are working is yours to keep, but he's keeping the tips. Now go and get some rest, you work tonight." Bevin laughed and hugged both Cait and John, and looked at his desk noticing the paperwork. "Hey what's that?" John looked at the paperwork. "Just a trade I'm trying to handle. But the thing is, I have no idea what any of it means." She looked at John and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let me take a look at it and I can break down what it all means for you." John looked at her and handed her the paperwork. She walked away and Cait laughed. "Did you go soft my love? Why did you give her that?" John looked at Cait and grinned. "She was an attorney remember? She is doing what I expected her to do." They watched as Bevin unlocked the door and walked inside the house, and a few seconds later, she walked out, a man causing her to back up and John swore. "I gotta handle this." Cait had no idea what was going on, but he needed to protect Bevin.

Looking down the barrel of a sub-machine gun was a new one for Bevin. "I told you I was given the key by the Mayor." John walked out and took a look at what was going on. "Danny Boy. The young woman is right. I gave her the key, so clear out already." Danny looked at Bevin and then to John. "I think I'll stay here. The view is pretty." Bevin felt her skin crawl and she smiled and looked at John. "Know what? I don't see a problem as long as Danny Boy here understands I will pound him to paste if he tries anything. And after that, I will riddle his body with bullets and have an alibi for the time when he's dead. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to bed. I've had a long morning and it seems an even longer night." She walked inside and John looked at Danny. "If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I will kill you myself. She's a very old friend of mine, so act like a gentleman and there won't be a problem. Step off that path, and they will never find your body." Danny nodded and he also walked inside intent on giving the woman a wide berth. He noticed her sitting at the table reading some papers, and walked to the only bedroom and closed the door. The knock on the door made her look up and Danny came put of the room as the door opened and a few men in suits walked in. "Afternoon Miss. Are you performing tonight?" Bevin held up a finger and the men waited until she was finished. "Actually I am, and since your boy here took the only bed, I'm on the floor." The men all looked at Danny. "You took the only bed from the lady? What are you thinking? And I made other arrangements for you at the Rexford. You should be there." Danny looked at the Gangster. "I like my place. I had no idea the Mayor gave this bird the key to get in." Bevin's head came up and her temper did to. "Well I hate to point this out, but John thought the place was empty. Know what? I'm not going to deal with this. I still have my place at the Rexford and I'll stay there until the Mayor can find me another place to live." The three men and Danny watched as she gathered the papers and the cigar box, and Danny had a feeling she had a lot of caps inside it. "Actually the box stays. It was here when I left." Bevin stared at him like he was stupid. "Yeah, no. This is my take from the Third Rail. Your box is by the sink. But I give you an E for effort." She grabbed the box and walked out of the house, leaving the key on the table. She walked back to the Rexford and looked at the clerk. "I need to rent the suite I'm in for the foreseeable future. How much is it?" The clerk looked at her and shook her head. "I rented it already. A few men are here for the evening and I don't want to kick them out. I'm sorry." Bevin nodded. "It's alright. Is it ok if I grab a recliner? I have to work tonight." The clerk handed her a key. "Just because that suite is full doesn't mean the room next to it is full." She slid a key toward Bevin. "As long as you keep bringing me caps, your stay is free. Now go rest, and I will have your clothes brought to the new room." Bevin smiled and walked into her new room and closed the door as Kells and Arthur were walking out of the other suite. "Are you sure she's performing tonight? Arthur, I know you want to talk to her, but remember what happened six weeks ago?" Arthur nodded and looked at Kells. "She saved my life and I never got the time to talk to her about things. I want her to know how I feel and if she tells me to go, I will leave her in peace." Bevin had no idea that they were there. She was passed out before her head hit the pillow.

Her alarm went off and she got up, showered and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The dress she was wearing that night already at the Third Rail waiting. Rushing to get there in time, she didn't notice Danse and Kells watching her. Taking the steps two at a time, she scanned the room and noticed that it was empty. "Hey Charley. What gives? The place is usually packed by now." Charley chuckled and looked at her, scooting a cup of coffee her way. "There is still two more hours before we open. On that note, you're early." She drained the cup and looked at Charley. "My clock says it's eight o'clock. Are we opening late tonight?" Charley looked at her. "Actually, this is a private party you are doing tonight. I don't know who the VIP's are, but I heard they have deep pockets." Bevin laughed as Charley poured more coffee in her mug. Getting off the stool, she made her way to the dressing room, sipping the coffee and put the night out of her mind for the moment. Grabbing the necklace she never took off, she hoped the people enjoyed the performance. She got ready and shut her mind off. "Please give a Third Rail welcome to Bevin Oliver." She walked out and the lights were blinding. She looked at the piano player and they went through the songs she knew and she made up a few as she went. Three hours later, her feet were killing her and she was getting tired. "You all have been amazing. Make sure to tip your bartender." She walked off the stage and Arthur just stared at her. She looked different, and he wondered if she was happy. They returned to the hotel and had no idea that she had the room across from them. A few minutes later, they were all in the lobby having dinner when she walked in with a man and the conversation had her full attention, and she bumped into him. "Sorry about that. I think I need to go to bed." She looked at Robert. "Thanks for walking me back, and for this morning. It would have been worse without you there to keep me grounded." Robert pulled her into a hug. "All you have to do is say the word and where you go, I will follow you. Good Night Bevin. If you're not doing anything tomorrow evening, I was thinking we could find some targets and go shooting." She blushed and nodded. "I would love that. Come around one?" Robert nodded and she walked back to her room, leaving him standing there. Watching her unlock her door, he left the hotel and Arthur wanted to know if there was something going on between them. After they ate dinner, Arthur was walking back to his room and the sound of sobbing made him stop, and walk closer to her door. Raising his hand to knock, he put it down and walked back to his room, leaving her alone.

Bevin woke up to the knocking on her door, her head screaming with every rap to the wood. "Go away. I don't feel good." The knocking stopped and she rolled back over and tried to fall asleep. "Ok. I hope you feel better. We can do this tomorrow." Bevin sighed and got out of the bed, and walked to the door. She opened it to see Robert standing there looking concerned. "Are you alright?" Bevin shook her head which made it hurt worse. "It's too bright. Come in the room and keep your voice down. Please." She pulled him inside and he watched her walk back over to the bed. "I don't know what's going on, but I woke up to a splitting headache. I hardly get them so this is a shock to my system." Robert grabbed a Med-X and she took it, the pain lessening, but not by much. "Are you doing ok other than the head ache?" She looked at him and jumped off the bed, rushing to the bathroom and slamming the door closed. Robert waited for the door to open back up, and after a few minutes he was worried. Opening the door, he seen her passed out and pale, and knew he needed to get help. Gently setting her on the bed, he opened the door and noticed the men from yesterday in the lobby. Grabbing Danse, he spun the Armor man around. "I need your help. A friend of mine collapsed in her bathroom and I ma hoping you can help her." Arthur scoffed and looked at him. "Sorry, but I have no idea who you are talking about. Now excuse us." Robert watched them walk away. "So you are the man Bevin told me about. No wonder she turned down your proposal. I'll find someone else to help her. You really should go." Arthur walked over to him. "What did you do to her?" Robert looked at him. "She told me her head hurt, get to the bathroom and collapsed. I got her in her bed, and came to find help. You can get out of my way now." Danse got the nod from Arthur and walked into her room. Seeing her shiver, Danse knew it was bad. "I've got you. Let's get you to Cade." He picked her up and he was scared. She felt cold to the touch, and he rushed her out of the room and to the Vertibird. Danse, Kells, and Arthur got on and Robert chased after them and got to the plane as the door was closing. "Take care of her. She's my friend and I want her to be ok." Danse nodded, and the plane took off. Robert sent a prayer hoping Lucy would help her.

Arthur and Danse both took turns with her while Cade ran all sorts of tests and she never woke up for any of them. Looking at another set of lab results, he had no idea what was going on and he finally asked Brian for his opinion and after he looked at the results, he knew what the problem was, and shared with Cade what he found out. "Are you sure?" Brian nodded. "When she wakes up, we have to tell her what happened. We need to push fluids so her body can get rid of it faster. My question is, who is doing this to her and why?" Arthur walked in and wanted to know what was going on. "What can you tell me?" Brian looked at Cade and then Arthur. "Not a thing. She has a right to privacy and if I tell you what is wrong, that violates her rights. So unless you are family, I can't tell you anything." Cade watched as the vein in Arthur's forehead popped out and he knew the Elder was pissed, and Cade sighed looking at Virgil. "Actually she knew the Elder's third great grandfather. So that makes him in a round about way, her family. Here is what we know. The toxin has been building up in her system and we do know what it is. But my question is, do any of the people she knows understand that this is slowly killing her?" Arthur looked at Cade and the Doctor handed him the lab results. "The toxins were enough to kill her, but she is a fighter and we all know it. I'm going to Good Neighbor and having a talk with the people that she knows. And I am going to start with the man she's been hanging around with." Virgil looked at Cade and then to Arthur. "I'm going with you. Just in case no one will talk to you, I can be there to explain." Arthur nodded and went to Bevin's bed, and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back. I promise. Just come back to me please." He walked out and Virgil met him at the Vertibird. Both men landed outside of Good Neighbor and Arthur was hell bent on finding out who was trying to kill her and walk away.

John was reading over some papers when his door burst open. Jumping up, John pulled his weapon. "Look. I'm just here to talk about Bevin. I need you to calm down and have a seat. Bevin collapsed the other day and I have reason to believe she's been poisoned. I have my people running tests as we speak and every test comes back that she's been given a toxin that is in Mirelurks." John looked at him confused. "MIrelurks are not toxic. What is really going on?" Brian looked at the man. "Bevin is highly allergic to them. She is slowly dying from someone giving it to her in some way." John looked at the two of them. What can I do to help? She's like a little sister to me." Arthur looked at Virgil and back to the man. "I need a list of people she talks to on a day to day basis. I owe her my life and I want her to see her next birthday." While John wrote out the list, the heart monitors that were hooked up to Bevin went wild. Cade rushed in and did everything he could, but the tone stayed the same and Cade swore. "You come back to us Bevin. You're work isn't finished." Bevin slipped into a coma and didn't hear a word. Knowing that Arthur would be destroyed, Cade decided to wait to explain what happened until he returned. Back in Good Neighbor, John looked at Arthur and knew he was telling the truth, but he had some questions for him. "Why do you care so much for her? Is she even family to you?" Arthur looked at John. "She knew Roger Maxson who is my third great grandfather. He was her God Father and I want her to be ok. I have spent the last year trying to find her, so yes, she is family to me. How do you know her?" John sighed and looked at him. "I met her when I was in jail for a charge that wasn't mine. The cops needed a scapegoat and I was it. She was my attorney then and she is now. She asked to handle a few contracts for me. And I didn't stop her." He looked at the ink well and had a bad feeling. "What if I did this to her?" Arthur looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" John looked at the papers he had ready for her to look at. "What if the ink is what did this? What if I did this to her? What have I done?" Arthur knew what guilt looked and felt like. "May I have the pen you've been using? I can have my lab run whatever is in the container. If it is the cause, don't blame yourself. She wouldn't want that. She knows it was an accident. But just in case, can I take a look at where she was living and worked? I know she worked at the Jazz Club and I don't want to step on your toes." John looked at Arthur. "I will go with you in case things get stirred up." Virgil bagged the ink and shoved it in a bag and followed behind the Elder.

Bevin knew something was wrong when she watched her Father, Brother, and Roger walk toward her. "What are you doing here? Bevin sweetie, it's not your time yet." Bevin looked at Drew. "My time for what?" Roger sighed and looked at her. "Your death honey. It's not your time. You need to go back and live your life." She looked at Roger. "If you're not in my life, it's not worth much. I saved Arthur and I am ready for this to be over. I'm so done with the pain of being hurt and I am ready to go." Roger looked at her Father and Drew. "But we are not. We are not ready for you yet and you have a lot left to do. We love you honey, but it's not you're time to be here. So you need to go back and live your life again. You may not know it, but from here, we can see everything and if Arthur hurts you one more time, clock him and walk away. Why did you turn down his proposal?" Bevin sighed and looked at Roger instead of her brother. "He made his choice when Piper came along. I'm sorry, but I can't be second place for anyone and he destroyed my heart and walked away without a care. And I can live without a relationship, and I don't ever want one." Her Father took her hand and pulled her toward him. "Why honey? I see the two of you together and the way he looks at you says a lot." Spotting a bench, she walked toward it and sat down. "I can't turn into mom. She did everything short of murder to break me and I can't be her. I don't want to be her. Dad, what did I do that caused mom to hate me so much? I was just a child." The tears slid down her face and Cade watched the tears fall down her face and made note that she was crying. "Bevin. We love you, but your mom was jealous of you. When she had you kidnapped it wasn't the first time she tried to kill you. When you were in the hospital, she tried to smother you, but a nurse walked in and saved your life. She made sure to keep trying though. I was so scared that I talked Roger into taking you for a few weeks to make sure you were safe. I had your mother committed for a few years and when she got out I thought she was doing fine until I got the call that you were taken and my senses went off when your mother called me calm as the breeze, telling me you had been taken and she had no idea what happened. I knew it was a lie, but I went with it. I did everything I could, called in all the favors I could and a few days later, you were found. We had no idea what that man had done to you, but you were not hurt except for the X across you shoulder blades. I am sorry that I left you to deal with her." Bevin sighed and looked at her dad. "It was never your fault. She one time said to me that I ruined the happiness she had with you and Drew was the only child she loved. I am sorry I wasn't enough to make her happy." Drew looked at his sister. "It was never your job to make her happy Bevin. I know you're my sister, but I need to tell you that I am so sorry that I failed you as a Brother too. But I love you and I want you to be happy. So for my sake, do what makes you happy for once. You lived your life doing what everyone expected of you and never once did you rebel against it. You lived for a reason and as your Brother, I am going to tell you I don't like the Arthur fellow." He looked at Roger who chuckled. "No offense, but if he can't treat you better than he has, you can say no and walk away. You deserve a man who adores the ground you walk on." She sighed and both her Father and Brother faded away leaving her and Roger alone. And for once Bevin had no clue what to say to him.

Arthur was searching for a needle in a haystack and his temper was rising. "There is nothing here that tells me what is going on with Bevin. John, you need to help me out here." John looked at Charley. "If you've done something to Bevin even if it was unintentional, I need to know. She is dying and you are being silent." Charley looked at John and knew something was going on. "Is she hurt?" Arthur looked at the Mister Handy. "Yes, and she's getting worse. I need to know if there is something that you can tell me to fill in the puzzle." Charley looked at John and turned to the bar and grabbed a bottle of water. "I've been using this to make the coffee in the morning and I have no idea if this will help." Virgil took a small bit of water and Charley slid a small bit of the coffee as well. Vigil put both in his bag and walked away. Arthur and John walked outside and both men had nothing more to say. "As soon as I know what is going on, I will let you know." John held out his hand and Arthur took it. "Tell her what she needs to hear Arthur and I am rooting for her." Arthur nodded and walked out, leaving John to wonder what was going on. "Are things ok? You're looking a tad worried." John turned to Cait. "Bevin is in trouble and no one knows what is going on." Cait looked at John and hoped that he was teasing her. "She'll be alright. Have a little faith that everything will work out." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. She sent up a prayer for Bevin and hoped she would get better. Virgil rushed everything through the lab when they got back and all they could do was wait.

Bevin looked at Roger. "He's a lot like you. He finds a noble cause and fights to the death for it. You should be proud of him." Roger sat down beside her and watched the ducks in the distance. "I am, but I am not happy with what he has done to you. I had hoped he would be the one you fell in love with." Bevin sighed. "I am not that old Roger. I just tuned eighteen five weeks ago, and besides I am in no way ready for that. I want to know how it feels to go on a date, have a man look at me like I hang the sun and the moon. I want a man who won't make me feel less than, but more. I hate to say it, but I don't think Arthur is the one for me. All my life, I wanted to find a guy that looks at me the way you did your wife, and I deserve that. I want him to understand that I'm not perfect, but I am a wonderful person. I'm not asking for fireworks all the time, but once or twice a month would be nice. He is a Maxson after all, and I want him to be happy with whoever he wants. Just like he would want the same for me I'd hope. Hell, I'm pretty sure even he doesn't know who or what he wants. He was so quick to get into bed with Piper and it destroyed me." Roger looked at her confused. "My darling girl, Arthur never slept with this Piper person. Let me show you what really happened." He played what happened that night and Bevin still wasn't sure of where the two of them stood. When she seen through Arthur's eyes the proposal, she blushed. "As much as I want to love him Roger, I can't. He deserves better than me and I deserve better than him. I walked away because I wanted to and I want to be happy. I'm so sorry, but he shattered my heart and whatever I felt for him died. I risked my life for his, not because I wanted to, but I had to. If he was killed, it would have been the Great War all over again and I barely lived through the first one. I am at a loss as to what I am doing, but if my future ends with him Roger, so be it, but not like this, and not that way." Roger nodded and knew she was right. "You two are going to be amazing together. You can thank me later." He watched the ducks and then looked at her. "I love you kiddo. I always have, and if Arthur tries you again, use the move I taught you." She laughed and he walked away fading away as well, and she did what Roger did, and watched the ducks. "I had a feeling I would find you here Bevin." She turned and noticed Nora holding baby Shaun. "Oh God. You are dead too?" Nora nodded. "It wasn't your fault. It was the fault of the people who had their fingers in the switch. What's on your mind sweetie?" Bevin looked at her and sighed. "Too many things of late. I went back to law and then music, and then nothing. What did I do that was so wrong?" Nora looked down at Shaun and looked at her. "You are amazing do you know that? The world ends and you somehow still blame yourself. Somethings just can't be explained and the bombs falling are one of those things that will never be figured out. Let go of what was, and see what has been in front of you the whole time." Bevin looked at Nora confused. "What do you mean?" Nora laughed and Bevin smiled. "Find what you want. Discover what makes you happy. If it's law, great. If it's music, great too. But you need to finally find what makes Bevin happy and do it. Take that step off the high ledge that you are perched on. What could happen? You get a bump?" Bevin knew she was right, but before she could answer, Nora and Shaun were gone and she was alone, staring at the ducks in the water.

Arthur kept watch by her bed for three days and never once moved. He slept when he couldn't keep his eyes open and it was only for a few hours at a time. The steady beeping telling him her heart was still beating. He took her hand and hoped she could hear him. "I am so sorry. I am sorry I broke your heart and you felt the need to leave. I can see why you did, and I am not mad. I just wanted to give you all the time and space that you needed to be whole again. You were right. I am a shame to the Maxson name, hell right now, you are a better Maxson than I could ever hope to be. Thank you so much for saving my life. Danse told me what you did and I am sorry I wasn't there to get you out, but then again I don't think you would have needed my help. I am begging you to come back to us. Come back to me Bevin. I need you more than air." Virgil raced in and looked at Arthur. "Where's Cade? I know what happened?" Cade walked in with a plate for Arthur and looked at Virgil. "What did you find?" Virgil looked at the both of them and then to Bevin. "No one knew what the effects would be when she came out of cryo-statis and after I ran a few tests, I know what is wrong. Whatever they used to freeze the people, is finally working it's way out of her body. But the good news is, that her body is flushing it out. As long as we keep pushing the IV fluids, she will be fine in a day or two, but I am not sure when she will come out of the coma. That is anyone's guess." Arthur left something brush his hand and he looked down at her fingers, and wondered if it was her coming around, or if it was a twitch. It happened again, and he looked up into her beautiful blue eyes. "Thank God you're awake!" Bevin looked at him. "Do I know you?" Arthur looked at her and then to Cade. "I'm Arthur." She looked at him and Cade heard the heart monitors going crazy. "Miss? Can you look at me?" She looked at the man with the kind eyes. "I need you to take a breath and let it out." She did and was still confused about what was going on. "Who are you and where am I?" Cade looked at her and to Virgil, a bad feeling rising in his chest.


	4. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or so they say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bevin has no idea who anyone is and has to learn who everyone is and the truth sends her into a free fall. Arthur sees her memory loss as a gift to start fresh with her. When her memory returns, she can't deal with the feeling that are growing for the Elder.

Bevin felt like she was in a fish bowl and she didn't like it. Looking at the three men, she wanted to know what was going on. "I'm sorry, but I don't know any of you and I am hoping that you can tell me what happened and where I am." Cade looked at Arthur and had no idea what was going on. "There was an accident and you got hurt." Bevin gasped. "What to tell me what happened or do I need to guess?" Cade looked at Virgil, and then back to her. "What all do you remember?" She took a deep breath and looked at the Doctor. "There was an explosion and a man in a funny looking metal suit told me that I was going to be ok. Why do I feel like I'm missing something important?" She looked at Arthur. "Who are you? You look like someone I knew a long time ago." Arthur chuckled and she smiled. "I'm Arthur and I am the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel." He watched her eyes go wide. She frowned. "On second thought, I'm not going to ask or think about it. My head hurts." Cade looked at her and grabbed a Med-X and walked over to her. "No needles please. They scare me." Cade looked at her and grabbed the IV line and injected it and she felt the medication hit her system. "You are afraid of needles, but you have three tattoos. That makes no sense." She sighed and felt like she had this conversation before. "A tattoo is a willing act, a shot in some situations is not. I signed up for my tattoos. But I feel like I've had this conversation before. Is it ok if I close my eyes now? I feel my anxiety rising and my brain needs a break." Cade and Virgil left and Arthur stayed where he was. "Want to tell me what else you remember?" She sighed and looked at him. "Not a lot, but can you fill in the blanks that I am missing for the puzzle?" He shook his head. "No, because if I tell you, your memory will be tainted. But for what it's worth, I am glad you are awake. Would you excuse me for a minute? I need to talk to the Doctor." She nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep and hoped her memories returned to her.

Arthur walked to his quarters and fell to his knees and let the tears finally come and for once he didn't stop them. He sent a prayer to Roger thanking him for bringing her back to him and knew he had a second chance with her. Wiping his face, he noticed William and Nick in the doorway. "Is Bevin awake?" Arthur nodded. "But there is a small problem. Her memory is gone. She remembers the Paladin getting her out of the Vault and that's it. Nothing after that. Cade has no idea when and if she will get her memories back. If she asks you to tell her something, don't. Her memories need to return on their own." Nick and William nodded and they sat at his desk and looked at Arthur. "So what are you thinking about Arthur?" He looked at Nick and smiled. "I am going to right the wrongs I have done to her." William looked at him. "You really have a lot to make up for." Arthur agreed. "I messes up badly. Damn. I need to get a message to John Hancock. I told him I would let him know when she woke up. Excuse me." He walked out and William and Nick looked at each other and they wanted to make sure she was ok. They waked to the medical unit and heard humming timed to the beats of the heart rate monitor. "Is this a bad time? We can come back of it is." She looked at Danse and she smiled at him. "Not at all. I remember you. You were the one I met when my Vault came open. How have you been? William is your first name right?" He nodded and he sat down in the only chair and Nick grabbed another one and sat on the other side of the bed. "How long was I out for?" Nick looked at her. "Two weeks, and you had all of us worried. How are you feeling?" She took a deep breath and let it out. "I wish I could remember what happened after I left the Vault. Can I ask a question?" Nick nodded. "You don't look like anyone here, and your voice is very familiar. Who or what are you?" Nick chuckled. "I was there when Roger Maxson told you that your Father and Brother passed away. I was human once, but my mind and memories were transferred into the body you see before you. I'm a Synth." Bevin nodded and stored the information away to think about later. "Is there anything else you want to know?" She nodded. "Why does the Elder keep looking at me like he did something wrong? I don't know him, and I don't think he knows me, so what's with the look?" Nick and William looked at each other and Bevin let out a sigh of frustration. "And you two have the same look. Can someone tell me and not lie to me? Because if I find out the truth I will pound someone to paste and claim innocence." William and Nick looked at her and laughed. "And now I'm a joke. Great. A crazy punchline to an even dumber joke." Nick looked at her confused. "Wait. I'm not laughing at you. It's what you say. You tell people all the time 'you're going to pound them to paste'. That is what I was laughing at." She looked at him and sighed. "Oh. Sorry I yelled at you." Nick stood up and took her hand. "It's ok. Just feel better ok? We need you back in fighting form." She was confused but her head felt like it was full of static. Danse looked at her and stood up as well. "We will let you rest. Sleep well." She nodded, drifting off the beeping of the monitors lulling her to sleep.

Grabbing a tray for her, he made sure there was no shellfish on the menu and made his way to the medical unit. Placing the tray on the table, Arthur noticed that Bevin was passed out and not waking up. The beeping of the heart rate monitor told him she was alive and breathing, so he sat in the chair and the next thing he knew, she was brushing his hair with her fingers. "You snore loudly. It woke me up." The whine in her tone made him look up. "I burnt a lot of midnight oil here in this room with you. How are you feeling?" She shrugged. "Like I want these tubes and wires off and out of me. But I have a feeling I'm stuck here for a while." Arthur nodded. "The Doctor wants to make sure there is no lasting damage from what happened. Call it what you want, but he cares for everyone." She nodded and closed her eyes. "I can go if you want me to. You need to rest." She shook her head. "You only get loud when your head faces the left, the right is silent." He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. She sighed in happiness. "That was nice." Arthur looked at her and did it again. "Good Night Bevin. I will go and be back in the morning." She grabbed his hand tight. "Please don't leave. It's way to quiet in here." Arthur looked at her and knew he would stay until she fell asleep and he would leave. "Alright. I'll take the chair again." She looked at him. "I was kinda hoping you'd lie in the bed with me. I don't want to be alone." She scooted over to make room for him and taking off his battle coat, he got in the bed with her and she laid her head on his chest. A few minutes later, her breathing was even and he knew she was asleep, and he didn't want to leave. Surrendering to sleep, he followed behind her, and Cade found the two of them in the bed sleeping like kids. Pulling the curtain, he gave them privacy, and left the unit.

The memories came at Bevin quick and they were confusing to her. Flashes of people and memories intertwined and they left her more confused. She felt arms tighten around her and she sighed in her sleep. Arthur looked at her and he went back to sleep. Bevin pushed him off the bed and he hit the floor and was jolted awake. Bevin was thrashing around in her sleep and Arthur sat down and waited for her to wake up on her own. He slept in the chair and that is where she found him a few hours later. "That position can't be healthy for anyone." Arthur stood up and his back popped and he winced. "Getting old sucks huh? You have to be what? Forty?" Arthur looked at her as she laughed. "Ha ha. Very funny. As a matter of fact I just turned twenty-one two weeks ago." Bevin looked at him. "Did you drink copious amounts of liquor or was it beer?" Arthur looked at her and shook his head. "Neither. I was working on my birthday. I was shot down and captured by some Super Mutants." She looked at him in horror. "How did you escape?" He knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he went with the truth. "You took my place. I thought you were dead, but here you are." She caught a flash of the memory and looked at him. "That sounds like something stupid that I would do. How bad were you hurt? I heard your screams and it almost killed me, so I killed the Super Mutants instead." Arthur looked at her and noticed that she had a far away look in her eyes. "My arm was broken along with a few ribs. But I healed and was ready to go a few days later. It is great to know that you survived." She nodded. "I guess I'm lucky that way. Can I get some toast with jelly?" Arthur smiled and walked out to get her some breakfast, and while he was gone, everything came flooding back. Just from one memory she had. She wanted to know how Robert was and if he missed her. "Hey Cade? Do you think you can get all of this out and away from me? Hospitals really are not my thing." Cade looked at her and smiled. "I take it you are you again?" She nodded. "And I want to get the hell away from here. As Cade unhooked her, she noticed Arthur walking in with the toast she asked for. Grabbing the plate, he was hit with a wall of silence and he was confused. Looking at Cade, he had a bad feeling and it made it's way to his heart. "Does Piper know I'm here? Or is she ok with it?" Arthur looked at her and knew she remembered it all. "I haven't talked to Piper in over a month. She knew I was captured and she didn't care. I need you to know that there wasn't a moment that went by that I wasn't thinking about you Bevin. I need to know if you are ok?" She stood up and looked at him. "As you can see, I am fine. But if you cared so fucking much, you would have came to talk to me, not ignore me until it was convenient to talk to me. This right here? This is why I refused your proposal. Until you can stop thinking about what you want, I can't do this. This dance you have going on, you can do it alone. I am going home." She walked out the door and outside. Looking at the Pilot, she got on the Vertibird and asked the Pilot to take her back to Good Neighbor. When he got the clearance, they left and Bevin knew she was done with Arthur.

Landing outside the wall surrounding Good Neighbor, Bevin felt like she was home. Walking through the gateway, she noticed John standing around doing his job as a crowd of people were yelling at him. "I don't know when she's gonna be back. She had a family emergency to take care of. When she comes back I will tell her you missed her. Now go away so I can get to work." The people walked away until it was just Bevin standing there. "Wow someone is grouchy. Run out of Jet already?" John looked at her and his grin was huge. Pulling her into a hug, he just looked at her. "I was so worried about you. Are you ok?" She smiled. "I'm good. It seems being frozen in a Vault didn't agree with me. How have you been?" John looked at her. "I'm good. So got anything going on tonight?" She laughed and it was music to his ears. "I do. It's called the Third Rail. Word has it that a new singer is in town to give Magnolia a break. Wanna go with me?" John chuckled. "I will see you there." She walked away and made her way to the club. It was empty except for Cait and Robert, and they were all over each other, and Bevin stood there in shock. Waiting for their kiss to end, she walked up to the bar. "I need three bottles of whisky and hold the glass. I have a feeling my day just went to hell." Cait looked at Robert and then to Bevin. "Are you alright? John told us what happened." Charley handed her the first bottle and she looked at Cait. "I'm fine. Well it was nice seeing you two, and I will let you get back to finding each other's tonsil's with your tongues." She turned on her heel and walked to the room she first met Robert in and slammed the door shut. Charley looked at Cait and then Robert. "Something tells me she's pissed." Cait and Robert agreed, but they had no idea why. Bevin slumped down in the chair and was thinking about what happened, when Robert walked in alone. "Look, I really don't care what is going on between you and Cait, but if I was just a stand in, a heads up would have been nice." Robert looked at her. "You were never a stand in Bevin. I had no idea what happened to you after the ass in the fancy coat took you away in his fancy plane. No one was told anything, and Cait and I just happened. We didn't plan it, I'm sorry if you got hurt." Bevin looked at him with eyes that were blank. "Hurt? I deserve so much better than you Robert. You were a cheap way to pass the time, and too bad, I always wanted to know how you were in bed. Well I guess we will never know." She set the bottle on the end table and walked out, tossing some caps on the counter and walking away from it all. She left the Third Rail and without a word to anyone, she left Good Neighbor never planning to return. When John went to the Third Rail, no one had seen her and no one knew where she went.

Bevin walked until her legs felt like jelly, but she knew things came out at night and she didn't want to be seen. It was three in the morning when she got to her home and knew she didn't want to be there, so she made her way to the Vault and hoped no one would notice. As the platform lowered, she remembered the first time she came down and she didn't have the same sense of danger. She made her way to the sleeping area and fell onto the first bed she could find, uncaring about the dead around her. Her heart a mess, she knew she wasn't ready to deal with anyone. The next morning, Arthur had no idea where she was. It was like she fell off the planet, and no one had seen her. He had a feeling that Preston may have seen her, so he reached out and a few seconds later, Preston told him that she wasn't there, but something strange was going on. A few of their crops went missing and they had no idea what was going on, and that was it. He told Arthur that if he seen her, he would let her know the Elder was looking for her. Arthur turned off the radio and had no idea where she was and that caused him to worry, so he sent Danse and Nick out to Sanctuary Hills to help Preston find out what was going on, because something told him she was there, but wanted to be alone.

Bevin heard the platform lower and she froze. "Bevin? If you are here, say something. Let us know that you are alright and we will leave you alone." Looking around the room, she slid inside a locker and waited for them to leave her alone. "We just want to know that you are ok. Make a sound so we know you are ok. Elder Maxson is worried about you and wants to know that you are safe." Bevin held her breath and she heard something brush against the locker door. "Let's go Nick. She's probably not here in this room anyway. Let's keep looking." Nick huffed and they walked out and Bevin let out the breath she was holding. "Wait. Did you hear that?" Danse looked at Nick. "It was probably the pipes in this place. They sound louder underground. Let's get this done so we can tell the Elder she's not here." Bevin waited a few hours and she heard both men talking. As they walked by the room, they walked back inside and Bevin knew she was in trouble. Sliding under a bed, both men walked in and sat down in the bed she was under. "Arthur is going out of his mind. No one has seen her or knows where she went. She could be in Canada by now. John said that she made plans with him and when he got to the Third Rail, she was gone and she never said a word. It makes you wonder if something happened that pissed her off." Nick nodded and looked at the lockers again, something throwing him off about them. "I have a feeling that she walked in on Cait and Robert. Those two can't keep their hands off each other. John and she were just friends, but even he was a little hurt when she showed up with Robert. So I would understand if Bevin walked in and found them together and put two and two together and got four. It sucks any way that you look at it." Danse looked at Nick when he stood up and walked over to the lockers. "What do you mean?" Nick didn't see Bevin under the bed in tears. "She keeps putting her heart out there, and she gets it back battered and scarred. If you really want to know when it started, look at what he did to her when Piper showed up. Arthur cast our very sweet young woman for a cheap hooker in heels. Piper has a mean streak and I still can't understand what he seen in her. She felt the bed shift as Danse moved. "That's the thing. Piper pushed for a relationship, but he didn't want one. Not with her anyway. He knew he had one shot with Bevin and he screwed that up. No one was too surprised when she walked away. The night she got drunk and unloaded on him, was there anything said to her by Piper?" Nick nodded. "Piper called her stupid and she has no idea that Bevin has a one forty-five IQ score. Let me fill you in on Bevin's past. Her mother was a horrible woman and treated Bevin like she was paper. Hired a goon to kill her and dump her body on the Mariposa Army base where her husband would find her and kill himself. Instead the goon took pity on the young girl and he took her to Mariposa and dumped her at the gate where her dad picked her up. Not too long after that, Bevin filed and was emancipated from her parents, and the same week accepted to Law School here in Boston. Her Father and Brother were killed and Roger was the one that had to tell her. She has been through so much William and it should have broke her, but it didn't. She rose above it and no one around her understands the hell she went through, only to go through a different kind. If she was in this Vault, knowing what you know now, and if you were her, would you say anything or want to be left alone?" William looked at Nick as he followed the yellow eyes to the bed in the corner. Walking over to it, he sat down. "I think I would have done the same, but I just hope she knows that there are still people who care about her and would never hurt her the way she has been. Well I think we should go. It's pretty clear that she isn't here. So who is going to tell Arthur she's gone and never coming back?"

Their voices faded and she heard the platform take them back to the surface, and she got out from under the bed, not knowing that Nick and Danse were in the cafeteria waiting for her to come out. When she did, she walked right into where they were. "Bevin!" Her eyes went wide and she darted off, Danse and Nick giving chase. They knew there was two tunnels but one way to get out of the Vault. She was working on pure fear and she knew they would find her at some point, and she knew the one place they would never look for her. She made her way back to her Vault and she smiled. Making it look like she was inside it, she hid behind Nora's and waited for them to walk in. "You don't think?" Nick stared at William in horror. "There is no way. It would probably kill her this time. But why would she even think about it? We almost lost her from this two weeks ago, and I can't lose her again. There is something I never told anyone. When my fiancee was killed by Eddie Winter, she sent a massive bouquet of flowers to her funeral, and when it was over, on my desk was a gift card for a nice dinner at the most expensive restaurant. I never forgot that kindness she showed me. We may have clashed her and I over cases, but when she went to bat for you and over you, she knew that you were worth the effort." Nick looked at Danse and they both heard the platform power on and they both walked out weapons drawn. "Why are your weapons drawn? I take you thought I was a raider thinking there was something of value here?" Nick looked at Arthur. "Why are you here? Not that you're not welcome, but I think Bevin would have a major issue with it. She is here and would rather be left alone." The bullet pinged on the floor by Arthur's feet and knew that she was agreeing with them. "Find her. I just want to talk to her." The doors shut and they heard them lock and knew they had to get in. Nick grabbed a screwdriver and a bobby pin and as soon as he found the right spot, the door jerked open and the floor was slick. Bevin stood on the other side and smiled. "I am a whole lot smarter than men give me credit for. If you want to talk to me Elder Maxson, you will have to come to me, not the other way around. Good luck though. The ice is cracking under your feet."

She walked away and before Arthur could take a step, Nick grabbed him. "Don't. Look." Danse and Maxson looked at the floor and were confused. "What in the hell?" Nick grinned and started to laugh. "She figured out how to freeze the floor. Her clue tuned me in." Danse looked at him. "'The ice is cracking under your feet?' She's telling you that hell will freeze before you can talk to her." Arthur looked at him. "What do I do? I need to explain." Nick looked around and noticed the carpet and the roll of tape. "I have the solution." While Nick was working with the Elder, she had her next trap set up and it was going to be a shocker to them all. Arthur got across the carpet and heard her humming. "Are you finished?" She looked at him and the sparks lit her eyes up even more. "I am not even getting started. It was a shock to me that you would try to play me, and you almost won. But you are in for a different kind of shock Elder Maxson, and I am wondering if you can handle it." She walked away and Danse knew something was going on. "Arthur? I hope the tape is fabric." Nick shook his head. "It's not. Why?" Danse shook his head. "A shock to the system. We are in the electric generator room. And there is only one way through the room, and all that metal you are wearing makes you a target." Arthur was fed up with her games and decided this wasn't worth the stress. "Fine Bevin. You win. I know I hurt you and there is nothing I can do to make up for what I've done, but I want you to know I'm sorry. I surrender." She looked at him and sighed. "Good. Now take your goons and go." She looked at Nick and flipped a switch, walking away as the generators shut down. "Guess what you wanted to say wasn't that important." Her footsteps went silent as they walked between the generators and didn't see her. They walked to where the Vaults were and they noticed her sitting on the floor in front of Nora's Vault. "I wanted to be like you when I grew up. I was so jealous because you has everything I wanted. A husband who loved you even though he was an ass, but he was your ass and that's what counted. You had the cutest son and I have no one. You knew the law forward and backward and you noticed a girl who had more smarts than you, but that didn't matter. You taught me that being a good person was all that mattered. It's my fault that you froze to death and I am so sorry. If I hadn't agreed to this, you would have died faster than your life support failing. You will never know the guilt I carry for this. I hope you can forgive me at some point." Arthur walked over and sat down beside her. "You didn't cause her life support to fail. It was the people that tampered with it." She looked over at him and drew her gun. "I told you to leave and you still insist on bothering me. Leave me in peace." She stood and Arthur grabbed her arm, and she didn't feel the tranq until her knees buckled, and her vision went black.

Nick and William both looked at Arthur. "What did you do?" Arthur threw her over his shoulder. "I tranq'ed her. When she wakes, you two need to be gone. She's pissed and me and I am not having you two in her cross hairs when she wakes up. So go topside and come back in two days. I hope she will listen and not be too pissed off." Taking her to the Overseer's office, he laid her on the bed and Nick watched as he handcuffed her to the bed. "You do realize she will get free and you will lose a lot more than you stand to gain right?" Arthur fed the cuffs through some rope and slid it under the mattress. Laying her down, he closed the cuffs around her wrists and looked at Nick and Danse. "I have about ten minutes before she wakes up pissed. So why don't I walk you two up to the Platform." Danse and Nick both stared at him like he was talking about a rad storm that was blowing through. Knowing that they didn't want to be apart of what Arthur had planned, Danse and Nick left leaving Arthur and Bevin alone. Arthur played a game on the Terminal and waited for Bevin to wake up. He looked over and noticed her blue eyes burning holes into his and he smiled. "Good you're awake. Now we can talk." Bevin looked at him and tried to move her arms. "You are kidding me right? I get it, you can't take me in a fair fight, so you knock me out, and tie me to a bed. And people thought I was ruthless. I am done playing your games Elder. Say what you want and leave me alone." Arthur looked at her and sat beside her on the bed. "I want you to listen to me and know what I am saying is the truth. I never slept with Piper and I never wanted to." Bevin scoffed and she knew how to get free, but the key was to let Maxson keep talking. "She had been after me for a while, but I wasn't interested. I was falling for a girl I never met before. I am so sorry that I let her talk to you the way she did. I was just as bad as she was and I know you don't believe me, but I wanted to tell you for a long time." He got off the bed and turned his back to her, giving her the time she needed to get free. "Such pretty words. Too bad they are wasted. I wasn't interested in hearing your lame apology and I care even less about your guilt. Look at it this way Elder, I see what you plan five steps ahead. If you knew anything about me, you'd know that I can get out of any situation and still know what you are planning." She was sitting on the bed and had the pistol out when Maxson finally turned around and looked at her. His eyes went wide as he took in how she was free. "Now this is what you're going to do. You are going to walk out of my Vault and never return. You killed whatever you wanted to happen between us when you tried to find out about Roger when you already know how he was. You are just like him. And Piper was the topping on the cake when I was trying to come to terms with the feels I was starting to feel about you. I made a mistake trading my life for yours and I never make the same mistake twice. Now you can leave now." She got up from the bed and looked at his handiwork. "By the way? My wrists are too small for regular sized handcuffs. She brushed by him, and he grabbed her. Pushing her against the wall, he placed her hands above her head and kissed her. She stopped struggling and wrapped her legs around his hips and threw him off balance. They both crashed to the floor and Bevin knew he was knocked out. "Hmm. Let's see how you like being held against your will. She grabbed the handcuffs and cuffed his arms through the opening in the door and placed the key near his foot and walked away.

He came to with a raging head ache. Trying to get up off the floor, he knew he was screwed when he looked at his hands and noticed the cuffs around his wrists and the rope thought the door. "You can let me go now." Her laugh made him look up to see her reading a book, her feet propped up. "I could, but what fun would that be? What's the matter Elder? I bet not having control of what happens to you sucks huh? Well welcome to my world. Be glad you didn't wake up frozen in a Vault. That sucks trust me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry and my dinner should be ready, and you are welcome to join me if you can free yourself somehow. You're a Maxson and you should be able to figure it out." She got up and walked away. He watched her leave and he noticed the key at his feet. Taking his time, it took him ten minutes to get free, and he followed the scents of food. She turned and looked at him. "Ten minutes. Wow. You really suck at getting free. Looks like you missed a step." He looked at her. "What are you talking about?" She looked at him. "Never once did you think to look around for a way to get free besides the key I left at your feet. Everything I learned, Roger taught me. He knew if anything happened to me, I would know how to handle myself. He knew that my mom would stop at nothing to see me dead, and when I was kidnapped, he and my dad knew she was behind it, but they didn't have proof. When I was old enough to understand the real danger my own mom posed to me, Roger and my Father took Drew and I to a remote cabin in the woods. They took Drew outside and tied him up, and at the time I was so scared that they were going to kill me first that I ended up in the hospital because the kidnapping came flooding back and I literally scared Roger and my Dad when I asked when they were going to kill me. Roger told my dad that teaching me was over and that he needed to get me to speak to a professional. I did that day and that is when they gave me medication. I had just come off a tour and Roger came to see me and offered to teach me what I needed to know to get free in case my mom tried again, so I popped half a bottle of my anti-anxiety medication and I was game. My dad and Roger used ropes and handcuffs like the one you tried to use. The first time, it took me an hour and while I was trying to get free, my dad told Roger he would be the man who kidnapped me and Roger would be the little voice inside my ear telling me what to do. It took all weekend for me to learn what they were teaching, and I can now teach you what they did me." Arthur looked at her. "Is there a reason your hair is so long?" She nodded and pulled her hair away from her neck and turned her back to him. "The man who took me told me he was leaving his mark on me so he could find me if he had to. I hid it for a long time from my dad, Drew and Roger. I remember the day Drew seen it. He freaked out and I shut down and checked out, and my dad blamed himself for it. I knew the reason he was mad was because he couldn't save me or spare me the pain, and it took Roger calming my father down for me to come back into myself. I bear this scar as a lesson not to trust people." Arthur leaned down and kissed the X. "I'm sorry that happened. Thanks for telling me. As soon as we are done eating, do you want to teach me what Roger taught you?" Bevin looked at him. "Are you sure you want to?" Arthur nodded his head. "I want you to teach me what Roger Maxson taught you as a scared child. I'm sorry." She looked at him and wiped her mouth. "For what?" She took a sip of water and he looked at her. "That I was too late to protect you from all of this." Bevin stood up and looked at him. "It was never your job to save me. Roger told me a long time ago that is was never our job to save people, but it was our job to make sure they had the tools they needed to survive anything that was thrown their way. And he was right. I never saved anyone. I just used what I had at the time. He would have loved the man you turned out to be." Arthur looked at her, unsure of what to say, and he pulled out a box and slid it across the table to her. "I found this in his things. I know he would want you to have it." She opened the box and stared at it.


	5. The Ties that Bind ha ha ha ha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bevin teaches Arthur everything that Roger taught her. And when a gift is opened, what does she do with what's inside?

She opened the box and just stared at it. "He always knew me and what I liked. Can you help me put it on?" She pulled the necklace out of the box and handed it to him. "I guess this goes with the tattoos and the navel ring?" She shook her head. "No. When my parents divorced, it was hard on Drew and I. Our mom tried to use Drew as a weapon against me and I against him, with the goal of destroying our Father. So on a rare weekend that our dad and Drew were free from training, dad took Drew and I to the ocean to see the sunset, and the next morning, he took the two of us to swim with the dolphins. They were so playful and I was withdrawn from a lot of people because after I was kidnapped I made the choice to walk away from music and Dad and Drew both understood without me saying a word, and they didn't push or tell me I was wrong for doing it. So we swam and for one day, my life was normal and I was just a girl who swam with the dolphins. That night, I knew I had to tell my dad that I needed to be free. Free to chose my life and the path I wanted. One where my own mother had no power over me. As we sat down to dinner, Roger showed up and that made things worse. I told dad what I wanted and he was so irate for me wanting to do it, but Drew understood and Roger talked to my dad and told him I was right and that if he wouldn't sign the papers, as my God Father, he was well within his rights to do so. My dad was an amazing man and he told me to give him until we drove home to think about it. When we got home, our mom was waiting for us with a few police officers. She called the cops because she seen a picture of me in the papers having fun with my dad and brother, and that was his breaking point. He took the papers from my hand and signed them and told me he was proud of the adult I became. When my mom read the papers, she went ballistic. Telling the cops she wanted me arrested and removed from her home. It was a giant mess that brought our next door neighbor over. Dad knew him and he granted my emancipation from my parents, and when he asked for the property deed, we found out it was in mine and Drew's names, we had our mother committed for I thing the tenth time. Not even a year later she was killed by a drunk driver and I asked for the man to be given community service, because he freed Drew and I from the Monster who gave birth to us. And no matter what happened, Roger was there for me and he was the best second Father I could ever have wished for." He looked at her and had no idea the hell she lived through. She sighed and looked at him. "I know I keep saying this, but you are just like Roger, and what I said that night? About you being a shame to the Maxson name? Well I was wrong and I never should have said what I did. He would have been so proud of you and what you have done from such a young age. I know you may not forgive me, but I hope in time you can." She stood up and he did as well. "I forgave it a long time ago. But can I tell you something?" She looked at him and nodded. "You stagger me like no one else. You can make a bad day better just by breathing. When William told me that you traded my life for yours, I was terrified that I would never see you or your smile again. I am so sorry that I never made the effort to find out if you were ok. I failed with you there. Can you ever forgive me? There were so many times that I messed up and I am hoping that I can prove to you how much you matter to me." She looked at him and then to the dolphin charm. "Baby Steps Elder. Baby Steps." He pulled her into a hug and they walked out of the dining room. He was eager to learn what she was willing to teach him.

They both turned as the platform to the Vault lowered, and Bevin drew her weapon. "There better be a good reason you trampled on my home?" Danse looked at her. "If you draw your weapon you better know how to use it." She lined up the scope and pulled the trigger. The bullet pinging off his Power Armor. "And she is ready to use it Paladin. Why are you back?" Danse and Nick looked at Bevin and walked over to her. "Are you alright? We told him drugging you and tying you up was a bad idea." She nodded. "Actually I am glad you are here. Do you two think you could help me with something Elder Maxson needs to know?" They looked at him and then at her. "Only if we won't get in trouble for this." Arthur looked at them. "If she wants your help, there is nothing to deal with from me, unless I get shot or break a bone again. That is not something I want to deal with ever again." She laughed and looked at him. "Try breaking every bone in your toes. More than once and then come talk to me." She turned to William and Nick. "I know he used rope and handcuffs when he knocked me out, but he wasn't expecting for me to know how to get free. When I did, I knocked him out and did the same thing he did to me, but I was nice enough and left him the key. It took him about fifteen minutes to get free, but he still failed the test. If he is ever taken again, he will have the tools to get free. You two are going to take him and tie him up. I will be in the room telling him several ways to get free. When I feel he has enough know-how to escape, you are going to tie him up, but the difference is, I won't be there to help him because I will be tied up along with him. Any questions?" Nick looked at her. "I will tie the Elder and Danse can do you when it's time." She nodded and Arthur and William walked out of the room leaving her and Nick alone. "Hey Nick? I heard what you told Danse. About when Jenny died? I didn't think what I did mattered. I knew you were hurting and I wanted to make things a little bit better. It's nice to know that I had a small impact on your day." Nick looked at her. "I had no idea who did it, but a few of the guys said it was a very cute, young red head, and since you were the only one I knew, I clicked onto you right away. Did you like the candy I sent you?" She nodded. "I did until Drew ate them all. I wanted to kill him in his sleep, but I decided not to. Made him buy me a new box when I showed him the card. I think I still have it in my safe. I'll look when I go back to my house later." Danse walked in and looked at the two of them. "He's ready." She looked at Nick and Danse handed her the key. She walked in and started to laugh. "Really Danse? He had to be naked?" Arthur looked at her with a grin. "I asked him to do this. Come on Ollie. Afraid you'll forget what you're doing?" She looked at him and he read the look. "Did I say the wrong thing again?" She shook her head. "Roger when he wanted me to do something, he would call me 'Ollie' and he was the only one allowed to call me that. I called him 'Fred'. Feels like old times, but with a different Maxson. This is how we are going to do this. Since Danse already did the easy part, Nick, you are going to keep track of the time. I will be the voice in Maxson's ear telling him what to do. If he can get out in under an hour, what does he get?" Arthur looked at her. "I want a date with you. Dinner, dancing, all of it." She looked at him. "Deal. And if you don't, you have to walk around the Prydwen wearing what you have on now and tell anyone who asks that you lost a bet with Bevin and you are a pretty princess." William and Nick laughed and so did he. "You're on Ollie."

The first time it took Arthur two hours to free himself because he refused to listen to her so she added a little pain to the mix. She found a piece of rope and every time he didn't listen, she hit his leg with it. "Beat me Bevin. How did you know I like it rough?" She turned beet red and shook her head. "Focus Elder. Do you want to live or not? Because if you die, you won't get the date you want from me." She looked at William and Nick. "Could you give me and the Elder a moment? I think I know what to do to help him free himself." Both men were tired and she knew it. "Three rooms down in the left, there is a dorm room. I will yell when he frees himself." They both nodded and she walked over to the terminal and closed and locked both doors, and walked back over to where Arthur was. "Hmm. You're not motivated enough. What can I do about that?" She paced around and knew that if she were strip down to her undergarments, that might make him try harder to get free. She walked to his feet and he looked at her. "I wonder if every time you listened to me, I take something off? Would that motivate you enough?" Maxson's mouth went dry and he nodded. "Well, step one, rotate your wrists to see how tight your bonds are." He turned his wrists and his eyes never left hers, not even when she slid her shirt over her head. And he struggled against the rope and Bevin grabbed her shirt to put it back on. "Remember what I have been telling you Arthur. Stay calm and focused, do what I taught you and you can undress me yourself." Maxson blocked everything out and remembered everything she told him and she watched the time. She watched him and smiled. Twenty minutes. New record. You still failed the first time. So you lost the bet. Looks like everyone is going to see you in your birthday suit." She laughed and so did he. "What do you say we take a break. You have got to be tired and sore from being in the same position for the past six hours." Arthur looked at her and nodded. "Want to share a bed with me Bevin? It would be just like old times." She nodded. The bed over there is big enough for the both of us." He took her hand and lead her to the bed. Sitting her on the mattress, he grabbed her right ankle and took the shoe off her foot and rubbed it. "Dear Mother of Mayo. That oh God. Right there! She heard the door open and William and Nick rush in weapons drawn. "Come on in and grab a bed. The Elder got free twenty minutes ago." Nick and Danse walked out and Bevin laughed. Arthur took her second boot off and did the same thing and Bevin swore she died and was in heaven. Feeling a tug on her jeans, she lifted her hips and Arthur removed them. "Such beauty. The body isn't bad either." She cracked one eye open and noticed that he was staring at her belly ring. "Is that?" She nodded. "A real diamond. Half a carat and I paid around fifteen grand for it. I have others in my safe at home. I should get them out at some point." Arthur kissed her stomach and Bevin was a puddle of goo. "I want you to tell me to stop if I go too far ok?" She nodded and Arthur got off the bed and grabbed the rope. He tied her hands to the headboard and she was filled with butterflies and they were the excited kind. "Tell me when to stop and I will ok?" She nodded. "I need you to tell me that you will say stop." She repeated it and Maxson trailed a line of kisses down her body. She wanted more and they both knew it. His hands were rough on her skin, but she didn't care. "Elder?" Arthur? Where did you go?" She opened her eyes, and he was at the terminal making sure to set a timer for the doors to open. "I am here Bevin. I needed to take care of something really quick. So relax a little." She nodded and closed her eyes. Her wrists went numb and he noticed they were turning blue. Untying her wrists, he slid into the bed with her and they both slept like the dead.

He woke up half an hour before she did and he was ready for more training. "Bevin? Ollie? It's time to wake up." She moaned in her sleep and it sent heat to his groin. "I want to wake up to you in my bed for the rest of my life. I will make myself worthy enough to marry you and give you my last name. I want you to have my children. I want to see you grow with my child inside you." She was sleeping hard and she mumbled in her sleep. "I love you Arthur Maxson." She rolled over and her back was to him, and his heart took flight and the doors opened to William and Nick stumbling in half asleep themselves. "Why don't we all have a do nothing day. Kells has the mission send outs and he knows we are here. So go back to bed and come get me when you have had more sleep." They both saluted and Bevin was still asleep. "I love you too Bevin Oliver." He stopped before he asked her to marry him. Bevin caught between and dream and a memory turned to him in her sleep. "I love you Arthur Maxson and I want nothing more than to be your wife." She snuggled deeper and her hand fell on his chest and he held onto it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea where this chapter was going to take me, so I opened my mind and let it wander.


	6. Do This My Way for Once

Bevin had the strangest dream, and she opened her eyes and woke up and found herself alone in the bed. Looking around, she noticed Arthur's battle coat on the chair and her heart raced. She was hoping yesterday happened and as she stretched her body felt loose and relaxed. She heard voices and knew she wasn't alone. Slipping her clothes back on, she made her way to the voices. Nick and Arthur had their backs to her and she smiled when William looked up and she held her finger over her lips and Danse smiled. She grabbed the handcuffs before she walked out and without any of them hearing her, she sat down on the table behind them and just listened. "She talks to Roger in her sleep and while I have no idea what they talk about, it makes me wonder why?" She smiled and took a breath and looked at Arthur. "I talk to him because he's with me where ever I go. He's family and I miss him. Are you ready to finish the training for today?" Arthur looked at her and everything she said in her sleep came back to him, and he grinned. "I am. Are you ready to lose this time?" She gave him a cocky grin. "I am if you are, and remember you lost the first round and the second one is up to you." He grinned and looked at her. "I am aware, but this time I am going to win." She looked at him and walked away. "What ever you say. Princess." The three of them looked at each other and followed behind her, eager to get the day started and back to the Prydwen and Arthur hoped she would return with him.

Piper knew he was there, but not where. Asking around to the people that lived there, she was told that William, Nick and Arthur were in the Vault to find Bevin. She just wanted to see the Elder and talk him into a date. Going deep underground on the Platform, she had no idea what to expect, but she grabbed her notebook and started to write down her thoughts. When the gate opened, she wrote down what she was seeing and her head came up when she heard laughter and someone yelping in pain. "I told you not to touch it, and that is what happens when you ignore my warnings. Piper noticed Bevin and walked toward her. "What are you doing here Piper? This is a restricted area." Piper looked at Bevin and looked at Nick. "What's she doing here? I didn't know that Vault Dwellers had the chance to return?" Bevin heard the malice in Piper's voice and grinned. "Look around you Piper, I was the only one to walk out of here breathing and my neighbors and friends all died here. But then again I own the land the Vault was built on, so do us both a favor and leave. You are trespassing on private property." Piper huffed and watched as Arthur walked toward them. Looking at Piper and dismissing her, Arthur looked at Bevin. "Everything is ready to go. I know I can't wait to see what you can do." She laughed and sized Piper up. "You own the Vault?" Bevin nodded. "And all the houses you had to walk by to get here. This land has been in my family for generations and when I have children, they will inherit it. My dad gave it to me when I moved to Boston for Law School and I loved this place. It needs a lot of work, but it's my history. Anything else you needed to know?" Piper wrote what she said down. "How did it feel to have the Elder rescue you from the Super Mutants near Good Neighbor?" Bevin looked at her and walked away, ready to put her in her place. Arthur watched Bevin leave and knew Piper was skating a thin line. "Why are you here? I never told you where I was and for that matter, we never were a couple, so you can leave." Piper looked at him and pouted. "I can because I wanted to see if you'd join me for dinner one night. Just you and me. No work and no problems. What do you say?" Arthur looked at her and wondered why she was bothering him. "I think you need to leave. You are unwanted here and if Nick seen you here, there will be a problem and I need his head in the game. Good-bye Piper." He walked away and Piper was pissed. "What does she have that I don't? I am way better than she will ever be." Arthur turned around and walked back to her. "She has class. And her IQ is higher than yours. And you got it wrong. I didn't save her from the Super Mutants, she saved me and took my place. If you cared about me like you claim, you would have dropped everything and came to see how I was. Whatever you think is going on between us is never going to happen. And one more thing Piper, I would never date a classless no name reporter. You can go now." Piper stared at him, her jaw on the floor. Walking to the platform, she just sat there on the stairs, and waited.

Bevin heard everything that Arthur said to Piper about her and she smiled. "Are you ready to do this?" Bevin jumped out of her skin and Arthur laughed. She kissed the scar on his cheek and he looked down at her. "What was that for?" She looked at him. "I know that Piper gets on your nerves, but don't ever stoop to her level. She will learn what happens when the people you thought care about you turn on you faster than the weather. She may not be my biggest fan, but try to get along with her." Arthur looked at her and put his arms around her waist. "I can do that. Are you ready to teach me what I need to know again? I think I can beat your time." She laughed. "If you can do it in under five minutes, I will let you chose what happens on our date, and no reasonable offer will be refused except for sex. I want to be married first for that to happen." Arthur stared at her and smiled. "By the end of our 'date' you will be begging for my touch on your body." She snorted. "Game on then. Let's do this." She walked away leaving Arthur stunned. Making plans, he followed behind her. He had no idea what happened because he woke up stripped down to his underwear and no one was around. Blanking his mind, her words were playing on a loop in his mind he got free and went looking for them. He walked in and sat down at the table and without looking up at him, she smiled. "Five minutes. New record. That's the good news. The bad? You have to save not only yourself, but one of us. Think you can handle the pressure?" He nodded and looked at her. "Who am I saving?" She looked at him and he noticed the bottle of medication. "Me. And I did tell Danse and Valentine that if I needed it, I have a safe word in case things go wrong." Arthur nodded and looked at her checklist. "What's the word so I know." She frowned. "It's Roger. Remember it and in case things go wrong, understand that this is something I have to work through." She took a sip of the coffee cup and he poured himself one, and drank it standing up. William and Nick both walked in and seen the two of them not doing anything out of place. "Bevin? Are you ready?" Swallowing her nerves, she looked at Nick. "As I can ever be. When Maxson get free, don't tell him where I am. His mission is to find me. You both cannot help him." Nick and William nodded, dread spreading in their bodies. She walked out with Nick and blanked her mind. Getting to the Overseer's room they walked by it and she was trying to keep the panic at bay. She touched things as she walked by and Nick knew what that meant. "Bevin?" She looked at him. "Yeah?" His sigh was full of unsaid words. "You don't have to do this. There can be a different way to train Arthur. You don't have to put your health at risk." She looked at him. "I never got the chance to deal with what happened to me. When I was released from the hospital, I had everyone around me treating me with kid gloves. I heard the talk and it broke something in me. 'Don't stress her out. She needs time to heal. Should she really be doing this after what happened to her? What is her dad thinking?' I heard it all and I knew I was doing things wrong, or I thought I was. Instead of letting me deal with it, I was drugged up and never allowed to work through it. I need to do this, because if I don't, the man who took me still has power over me and I refuse to let him and his ghost win." Nick knew what she was trying to say and he nodded. "Do you trust me?" She nodded and Nick placed something over her head and he took her to another room, where he tied her up and waited for Arthur to find her.

Arthur looked at Danse and sighed. "She trusts you to save her. Remember what she told you. Think about everything she has done for not only you, but for the rest of us. If she says the safe word, Nick will set her free. Just know that we will keep her safe. Who knows, she just might save you again." Will placed the hood over his face and led Arthur out. Tying him up, William glanced at his watch as Arthur got himself free and got out of the room looking for Bevin. She had her eyes closed and went back to the past. Hearing the man talking on the phone, she paid attention to his voice and how pissed he sounded. Whoever he a was talking to was demanding him to do things to her and she shut down. As soon as the man slammed the phone down, he grabbed her and threw her in his car, intent on returning her to her father. "Where is she?" Her head came up and didn't say a word. "Bevin I need you to make a sound honey, I can't find you if I can't hear you." Bevin was trapped in her past and had no idea how to break free. The hood came off her face and she had no idea if she said the safe word. Untying her, Arthur watched her face and knew she wasn't there mentally. She was beating back her own demons and that was a fight he couldn't win for her. The tears slid down her face as Arthur picked her up and walked out of the room with her. "Three minutes. That's a new record for you Arthur." And she fainted. William looked at her and knew it was bad. All three men rushed her outside where Piper was waiting, writing everything that she seen down. "Make sure the Vertibird is ready to take off when we get on. She needs to be treated." Piper rushed over and looked at Bevin. "What did she do?" Arthur didn't have time to deal with Piper. "She fainted. Excuse us." The Vertibird landed on the platform and they bundled her onto it and raced off. She made the trek back to Diamond City, her heart lighter.

Arthur got her to Cade and placed her on the gurney. "Cade? She fainted. What do I do?" Cade looked at her and then to him. "What happened?" Her voice came out weak. "I battled a dragon." Cade looked down at her confused, and looked at Arthur. "Don't ask." Cade walked away and Bevin slowly came around and smiled at Cade. "And she returns. How are you feeling after battling your dragon?" She laughed. "I am fine. I had no idea I was going to come back here." Cade looked at her. "Want to tell me what happened? Or do I need to guess?" She sighed and looked at Cade. "I think it's time to tell someone that has no clue about my past." Cade looked at her and knew it was bad. "Only if you want to tell me. If you don't want to talk about it I understand." She looked at him and sat up, pushing her braid to the side. Cade looked at it and to her face. "What happened?" She held the tears in. "My mom hired a man when I was thirteen or fourteen to kidnap, torture, and kill me, leaving my body for my father to find. From what I can understand, the man changed his mind and instead of killing me, he sliced the X on my body. It was his mark, he told me this way he he ever changed his mind, he could find me. My dad had no idea what was planned and I never said a word to him about it, but when he got a copy of the police report, he went postal. And that sent me into a deep spiral. I walked away from music and applied for Law School here, and I was accepted. I thought if I blended in I would be safe. Roger came to me and told me that he was going to train me to protect myself and that my dad and brother Drew were going to help. But when they did it, things went wrong, and I was put in the hospital for a mental break down. I was given the medications that helped, but I knew he was out there waiting. No one knows this, but I ask that you keep this between us. I had the man followed and watched. When I found out he was here, I tracked him down and from a mile away, I put four bullets in his body and I felt nothing. No one knew it was me, and I was able to finally leave that part of my story alone." Cade looked at her and had nothing to say. "You killed a man? Bevin? You broke the law." She looked at Nick. "Fuck. Let me guess, you were the one that caught his case?" He nodded. "His case was the one that stumped me the most. When his body was found, he had a slip of paper with an address on it and a routing number. We thought it was a professional hit." Bevin looked at Nick and rattled of the address. "Sound right?" Nick nodded. "Yes. But we never knew whose it was." She looked at him, her eyes hollow. "That was the address to my house in Sanctuary Hills. He was going to kill me." Nick walked over to her. "I'm not going to arrest you. You were protecting yourself. I won't say a word to Arthur about it. As far as I'm concerned, it was a mob hit." She smiled at him. "Thanks." Nick patted her hand. "I'm glad I finally know what happened to him. He was mixed up in some bad stuff." He walked away and bumped into Arthur. "She's awake, but I'd give her a little space. Cade is with her right now." Arthur nodded and walked to his office, bypassing the medical unit, giving her the space Nick asked him to give her. Sitting at his desk, he was ready to pay his debts to her and he smiled as he planned it out.

Cade let her out a few hours later, and she was glad. "I'd tell you to take it easy, but we both know that won't happen." She laughed and walked away wondering where Arthur was. Walking around, she noticed his office door open and she leaned on the doorjamb and just watched him work. "You do know what they say about all work and no play right?" He was still reading reports and didn't look up. "No, but I have a feeling you are going to tell me." She laughed. "Yeah, it makes you grumpy and needing to take a break." He looked up at her and she took a step back. She noticed that his eyes were cold and she hated to see it. "Know what? I'll come back later. I am going to Good Neighbor and talking to John about something. I'll be back later." She left the doorway and Arthur had no idea what happened. Setting down the papers, he went over the look on her face, and it hit him that she wanted to talk, and he ignored her. Getting up from the desk, he went to look for her, but she was gone.

Bevin never made it to Good Neighbor and no one knew where she was. The Knights knew to look for her out on their missions and John had his people looking for her too. She woke up once and was drugged so she wouldn't see who took her. "What do we do with the girl? Hancock has his people looking for her. Put a bullet in her head and call it over, and make sure to leave her body where John can find it." Bevin was back in her worst nightmare. Breathing calmly, she listened for sounds and footsteps. More than two meant they were not alone. She smiled when she felt the cold metal of the handcuffs and knew they had no idea the hell they unleashed. She got free, and waited for one of the men came back. "Can I get some water please?" The man threw a can of water at her. "I need you to open it. Bound remember?" She heard the can open and soon, the cool water was sliding down her throat. "Thank you. Can you tell me where I am and what I did to deserve this?" The man took off the hood and his eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, but your just business. We need you to get John out of Good Neighbor." Bevin looked at him. "You do realize that I have nothing to do with whatever John is up to. I never did." Danny set the gun down and nodded. "I'm sorry for this." He picked up the gun and aimed it at her. Bevin timed it right and the bullet hit the wall behind her head and she brought the chair up and beat him to death with it. She was unaware that Cait and Robert heard the gunshot and broke in the door. Robert looked at Danny dead and Bevin in shock. "Get her out of here. Take her to John's." Cait pulled Bevin out of the house and to the State House. Without a word to anyone, she took her to John's office. She set Bevin down on the couch and rushed out, forgetting John was working that day. Looking up from the contract, John thought he had seen a ghost. Bevin? Is that you?" Bevin just stared at the wall unresponsive. He walked over and took a look at her face and winced. "What the hell happened?" He got silence as Cait walked back in with Robert behind her. "Robert, I need your help. Help me get her into the tub so I can clean her off. Arthur is going to lose his mind." John looked at Cait and then to Bevin. "What in the hell happened to her? And where was she?" Robert walked out to help Cait and when Bevin was undressed, he noticed all the bruises on her body and knew all hell was about to break loose. He walked out leaving Cait to get Bevin in the tub. He walked back into John's office and threw the note on his desk. "Does Arthur know yet?" John shook his head. "What happened?" Robert felt his temper snap and broke free. "Read the note and it will tell you everything you need to know. You have no idea what is going on in your own town, because looking away works for you. You have no idea what being a Mayor is. You'd rather huff Jet all day instead of doing your damn job. Bevin was almost killed because you turn a blind eye to half of what goes on here. I just hope nothing happened to her besides a few bruises." Robert walked out and John read the note and his vision went red. Grabbing the radio, he grabbed the mic. "If you're listening, I need your help." The voice answered him and it sounded ice cold. "Has she been located?" John keyed the mic. "She has, but there is a problem. Tell whoever you need to that when he comes, he needs to bring an Army. Good Neighbor has been compromised." Kells wrote down what John said and he walked in on the meeting with Danse and the Knights. Arthur scanned the note, eyes going wide. He grabbed his Gatling Laser and walked off without a word, leaving Danse no choice but to look at Arthur "What happened?" Arthur's eyes went flat. "She's been found." Arthur hopped on the Vertibird and raced to Good Neighbor.

Cait had no idea how much blood was Bevin's or Danny's. "Lean back. That's a lass." Bevin was doing what Cait told her on auto pilot and flinched when she heard the blades of the Vertibird land on the roof. Draining the water, she filled the tub with hotter water this time and put some sweet smelling bubbles in. Bevin didn't respond, but the door was knocked off the hinges and Cait walked out to see a pissed off Elder in Power Armor. "I hope ye'd be replacing the door." Arthur got out of his Armor and looked at Cait. "I heard she's been found. What happened?" Cait looked at the bathroom door and to Arthur. "She was beaten bloody, and I don't think she was touched in any other way. She looks like she went ten rounds in the Combat Zone. She is here, but she's not. Now I need to check on her. Excuse me." She looked at him. "You'd best be talking to John." Arthur turned and walked out leaving the door on the floor. Cait walked in and noticed the small smile on Bevin's lips. It was like she was a little girl again. Safe and happy. "What do you mean she was collateral damage?" Arthur roared and John felt his life flash by him. "She was taken to get to me. Whoever took her wanted me gone so they could have free reign to run whatever they wanted here. I had been cutting down on the traffic and I never thought Bevin would be a target. This is my fault, and I take full blame for what she went through." Arthur looked at John and knew their friendship was over. "Yes it is. If she's been hurt more than the bruises, you will pay for every second of pain she went through." John nodded and sat on the couch hoping that Bevin would be ok. Arthur walked back upstairs hoping he gave the red head enough time to get her ready. When he walked in, Cait was humming to Bevin and was braiding her hair and Bevin didn't move or make a sound. Arthur picked Bevin up and a Knight got into his Power Armor and they left. The Knight turned to her. "You are more than welcome to come along if you want. I have a feeling Arthur will want to talk to you so he can find out what happened to Bevin." Cait shivered and nodded. "Alright. Let me grab Robert, he's the one that busted in the door." Cait rushed down the hall and grabbed Robert. "We need to go. Now!" Robert followed her and he got on the plane and his gaze never left Bevin's face.

William and Nick met the plane when it docked. "Is she ok?" Arthur held his temper in check and shook his head. "Get Neriah. She is going to need a female to look her over. There are somethings a man should never have to do for a woman." Nick sent word as Arthur passed Bevin to William and when he jumped down, William handed her back and sent for Neriah. Walking her to the Medical Unit, Cade and Neriah were waiting and as Cade was taking her vitals, Bevin said nothing, she was trapped in her worst nightmare. Neriah cleared the men out and grabbed a female Scribe. Both women took care of Bevin and she didn't even know. Making sure she was ok, Arthur took her back to his Quarters and set her on his bed and covered her up. She turned onto her side and Arthur sat at his desk and looked at the papers on it, and couldn't read a word of it. He looked at her every few minutes and knew the break was coming and a few hours later, she started to scream as her back arched. He jumped up from the chair and went to her as Cade walked in. He looked at Cade helpless and knew he had to do something to help her. Sliding into the bed, he wrapped his arms around her and waited for the storm to blow over and her screams ripped his soul to shreds. "Ollie. I need you to calm down. It's ok, I'm here. Just breathe sweetie. I'm here and I need you to breathe for me. Ollie? just breathe for me. I've got you and your safe. Listen to my heartbeat and know that I will protect you from the dragons. That's a girl. You're safe now. I've got you. Look. The dragons are gone. You scared them away. Just breathe Ollie. I've got you." Her breathing slowed down and she stopped moving and fell into a peaceful sleep while Cade stood there stunned. Without a word, Cade walked out and left the two of them alone. Still holding her, he fell into a light doze in case she woke up screaming again. He felt her wake up before she became aware. "It's ok. Stay in bed sweetie. Do you need anything?" She looked at him with eyes far away and sighed. "I want my dad Roger. Where did he go?" Her voice threw him off, and he knew she was a trapped teenager who was alone and afraid. "I'll go get him sweetheart. Be right back." He walked out and looked at William. "I need you to do me a favor. I need you to act like her dad. I think when she was taken something happened that caused her to go back to when she was a kid. She think's I'm Roger. I need you to be her Father John. Can you do that for me?" William nodded and followed Arthur inside. "Bevin? Honey? Are you ok?" She looked at William thinking he was her dad. "I'm so sorry daddy I wasn't smart enough to get away. Daddy? I'm scared." William looked at her and he was terrified. "Why do you think I'd be mad at you? You didn't cause any of this. I have everyone looking for the man that did this to you. You'll be ok honey. Why don't you get some sleep? Roger and I will be right outside if you need us. All you have to do is yell and we will be here in the blink of an eye." She nodded and closed her eyes and slept, while Arthur and William stood outside the closed door. "Wow. I never knew it was this bad. Have you talked to the two that found her yet? They might shed some light on what happened when they found her." Arthur nodded, and looked at William. "Where are they?" "We'd be right here. How's the lass fairing?" Arthur looked at her. "You were the one that took care of her when she was found. I'm sorry for not thanking you before now. Her body is fine, but her mind is fractured. She thinks she's still a young teenager. She thinks I'm someone she used to know a long time ago. Can you tell me how you found her?" Robert looked at Arthur and William. "I heard the gunshot and I didn't think about the threat to myself, and I broke down the door and when I walked in, he was dead, and she was covered in blood. I'm still not sure whose it was." Neriah walked over to Arthur. "It was his. I have the tests you wanted. She wasn't touched in the worst way. She has a few cracked ribs that are healing nicely. Is there anything that I can do?" Arthur looked at her. "Be there to talk to her and listen to what she says. I need to know why she was taken and by who." Cait looked at Robert and they both looked at Arthur. "A man named Danny took her on the orders of a want to be big shot Gangster. He thought if he took her, John would give into his demands. I don't know the man's name, but he was a big shot a long time ago." Nick walked up and looked at Arthur. "It sounds like someone I used to know, but he's dead." Arthur looked at Nick. "I need a name." Nick looked at Cait and Robert. "Eddie Winters. This was what he'd do. He'd take someone and kill them and leave them where the target would be. I can compare him to a one man Institute. People who crossed him ended up dead or all traces of their life gone." Arthur looked at Nick and walked away.

Bevin woke up alone and wondered where everyone was. She felt someone in the room with her and had no idea who it was. "Are you ok Ollie?" Bevin sighed. "Arthur or Roger?" Arthur turned on the lamp and looked at her. "Arthur. Do you want to tell me what you remember?" She nodded. "I had just walked into Good Neighbor and I was taken. I had no idea who or how long I was there. All I remember is getting some water and being shot at. Was I?" He knew what she asked. "No. But you had a few cracked ribs and you were a rainbow of colors. I am so sorry this happened." Bevin looked at him. "What? You have nothing to be sorry for. If anyone should be sorry, its not you or me for that matter." She chuckled and Arthur looked down at her and sat on the bed. "After all of this, you are laughing?" She nodded. "I was telling people if they didn't leave me alone I would pound them to paste. Looks like I did." Arthur started to chuckle and nodded his head. "For the sake of my sanity and your safety, if you go anywhere off the Prydwen, please take someone with you. It makes me worry less." She sighed and looked at him. "Do I get to chose or do you?" She pulled him onto the bed with her. "I do, and you will also carry a gun with you." She nodded and felt his arms go around her. "So I guess Date Night is never going to happen huh?" Arthur looked at her and smiled. "Actually, I seem to remember losing a bet. I always pay what I owe." He got off the bed and took off his battle coat and her mouth went dry. He took off his shirt and her heart stopped. "What are you doing?" He looked at her as he took off his boots. "Well I do have a bet to carry through with. Is that a problem?" Bevin shook her head. "Do you think you could do it with a pair of shorts on? There are Squires that will see you booty butterball naked. Do you really want to scare them?" Arthur looked at her and knew she was right. "Good point. I'll be right back." He put his shirt on and she hid her disappointment. Arthur walked out and left his door open and a few minutes later she heard his voice over the PA system. "Since I can't do what Bevin bet me to do, I am doing this. I Arthur Maxson give Bevin Oliver full control of what I do for the next week. It can be whatever she wants me to do and I cannot refuse. So don't give her any ideas, because I think she can come up with things all on her own. Starting next week, all of the Knight's will report to Paladin Danse and Knight Valentine and they will be teaching the Knight's a new training program. Good Evening, everyone and please have a great night." Bevin was laughing when Arthur walked back to his room and he looked at her. "What did you think?" She was still laughing and looked at him. "I cannot believe you did that. But I like it. So what do you have planned for our date?" He looked at her and grinned. "I will never tell you. How are you doing? And don't hide anything from me." She looked at him, and sighed. "I froze. Everything I told you I didn't do until he pointed the gun at my head. I was almost killed over another person. What in the hell?" She sighed and let it go because it didn't help her. The knock on the door made Arthur look at it. "Enter." Cait walked in and looked at Bevin and she grinned at her. "How ye feelin? Or is that a dumb question to be askin?" Bevin looked at Cait. "I'm fine, but I have no idea why I was the target." Cait looked at Arthur and they didn't say a word to her. She read what they weren't saying and she stood up. "Are you kidding me? I was bait? For who?" Cait looked at her and shook her head. "I'm going to kill him. Did he plan it? Or was he in on it?" She looked at Cait and stopped. "What?" Cait looked at her. "Robert saved you, so talk to him before you go off and be doing something stupid." Bevin walked out to find Robert and talk to him. Cait looked at Arthur. "How pissed is she?" He watched her slam the door closed. "I would stay as far away from her as possible. She will hurt someone by the end of the day. On second thought, we should see where she went." They walked out and followed her.

Bevin found her prey sitting at a table with a few Knights talking. Slamming her hand on the table, he looked up at her and noticed that she was pissed. "I see you are feeling better. Want to talk about it?" He stood up and she turned and short arm punched him. "You look at me in any way, I will kill you where you stand. When did you decide finding me was worth it? Huh? When caps were involved? How much did you get when you found me? Must not have been a lot because you are still here." She turned on her heel and walked away. A few of the Knights looked at her and pressed themselves against the wall. She made her way to the workout room and beat the bag until she felt the bones shift in her hands and it still wasn't enough. She was hit with something and she kept fighting. "It's time for bed Bevin. You can beat on the bag in the morning." She looked at Arthur and snorted. "I don't want to wait. Even drugged up I can still take you down." His eyes fired and he looked at her. "The old rules? No gloves?" She looked at him and grinned. "Never took you for a girl. You want a dress too?" He looked at her and she stripped her shirt off and she looked at him. "Whenever you're ready Princess, some of us do have things to do." Arthur got into the ring and he never seen the hit coming. "Oh God Arthur are you ok?" Arthur shook his head clear and looked around for Bevin, and noticed that she was gone. "She knocked you out and walked away. Told one of us to check on you and slammed her way outside. I am not too sure if she's still here though." Arthur stood up and his knees buckled. "You need to stop her if she's planning on leaving. She found out what happened and is gunning for John Hancock. We need to stop her before she does something she's gonna regret later." Nick walked in and smiled. "I don't think she's going anywhere Arthur. She was found passed out in your quarters. I though I would let you know. And do I want to know what happened to your face?" Arthur grinned. "I tranq'ed her and she got a lucky hit in. Thanks for looking out for her Nick." Arthur walked into his quarters and found her sprawled across his bed and a calm look on her face. Grabbing the cot, he set it up and she was awake and looking at him. "What are you doing? I can't sleep with you beside me." He pulled the covers back noticed that she was wearing his favorite t-shirt and found she looked better in it than he did. He slid into the bed and she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat and combined with the sound of his breathing she was asleep before she knew what hit her.

The next morning, the bed was empty, but she noticed the card sitting on the pillow. Getting dressed, she looked at her hair and knew it was time to let go of the past. She rebraided it and walked to the dining hall, looking for him, but she noticed Cait and Robert having breakfast and she lost her desire for food. She drained the can and heard a song she remembered. Walking up, she noticed Arthur and William boxing and Nick watching. She walked past and noticed the walls of mirrors and she smiled. She walked back and looked at Nick. "Can I borrow that tape? I helped write that song and I never heard them sing it." He handed her the tape and she put it in her Pip-Boy and turned it up as loud as it could go and let the bass hit and she closed her eyes and sang along with the music. The three men stared at her in shock. "Who is the band?" Nick looked at William. "The name escapes me, but they were pretty famous. They held a contest to find their next hit. Out of the thousand's they got, they recorded each and everyone of them and released them, letting the fans choose the song, and that one was chosen. He reached out to everyone he could think of and his sister read the lyrics and mentioned that it sounded a lot like Bevin's style of lyrics, he flew to Boston and met with her. And she told him that he and his band could put their names on the song. She walked away because the fame was to much and she wanted to be normal. He left and actually put her name on it as well, and when he was interviewed, he mentioned that she only wrote that one song for them and that she wasn't performing again. Bevin walked into court the next day and everyone and their brother was taking pictures of her and she went with it. She tried the case and won, went home and had take out. She was impressive and she still is. Do you think she's calm enough to talk to her?" William looked at her and noticed that she was going over the song again and decided space was what she needed. "That is up to you." Nick walked downstairs as Cait and Robert were walking up and noticed that Bevin was having a blast. "What is it that the lass is doing? It looks painful." Arthur and William looked at her. "She knows the song and she is burning off the left over anger from last night. If you'd excuse me, I need to talk to her." Arthur walked away and to where she was. Their eyes met in the mirror and she must have said something, because Arthur returned. "She's still pissed. Anyone want to tell her I had nothing to do with any of what John did?" Robert looked at Arthur and decided to bite the bullet and talk to her. She cut him off in three seconds and he walked away and back to the group. "She treated to pound me to paste and I am not sure that is a good thing. I am going to give her the space she asked for. Good luck Arthur, you are going to need it." He looked at Cait and he walked down the stairs. Cait seeing enough walked over to her and even though they had no idea what was said, Cait grabbed her and blocked the punch. Bevin slid to the floor, her body shaking, and Cait sat down with her and just held onto her, they couldn't hear what was said, but Cait didn't let her go and let her get everything out. They gave Cait a bit and she pulled Bevin up off the floor and they walked away. Cait knew that by the end of the day Arthur was in for a shock.

Cait and Bevin walked down the steps and Bevin was having second thoughts about what she wanted to do. "I change my mind Cait. I can't do this." Cait looked at her and knew she was nervous. "It will be ok Lass, I've had me hair cut here plenty of times. Just relax and let the man do his work. Piper walked out of the newspaper and noticed Bevin and a different red head with her. "Did you finally find a friend as pathetic as you Bevin?" Bevin looked at Piper and noticed that people were watching the two of them. Bevin looked Piper up and down and she grinned. "Well that's funny coming from you. I bet if I asked anyone of these people if there was one person they could kick out of here, I have fifty caps that says they would vote for you. Way to ruin my first time here Piper. Bravo. What do you have planned for your next trick? Trying to sucker Arthur into taking you out in a date? Let me know how that goes, because I will know not what to do when he takes me out. See there are very big differences between us and before you say something, all I have to do is snap my fingers and men will be begging to do what I want. I have tact Piper and you, well you don't. Where you're loud, I'm quiet. I have breeding and manners, and you are a mangy dog that likes to try for the scraps. And wait. It looks like I have one more friend than you. Wow, you really need to work on your people skills Piper and maybe you can be like me when you grow up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of and a date to get ready for." She looped her arm through Cait's and they walked away. Piper noticed everyone watching Bevin as she walked away talking to Cait about different things she wanted to buy. Deciding that her hair was last, she walked to Fallon's Basement and opened the door. "Good Afternoon. Can I help you ladies find something?" Bevin sighed and smiled at the woman. "I need a dress that will make a man forget his own name. Do you have anything like that?" The woman looked Bevin up and down and grinned. "Right this way. I want to let you know that I take the caps up front for the dress. No offense, but I've had people steal my hard work and I am only one person." Bevin nodded. "If I can't find what I like, can you alter it?" The woman looked at Bevin. "I can. I'm Becky Fallon. Take your time to decide." She walked away and Bevin looked at the dresses. Looking at the price tags, she sighed and knew she had enough for the two of them and more caps to buy whatever else she wanted. She tried them on and they both fit like a dream. Walking out, she twirled and Cait clapped. Which one are you choosing?" Bevin looked at the black dress and the one she was wearing. "Both. I want Arthur's brain to melt when he sees me." Cait looked at everything that wasn't dresses and found something she liked. "Add it to the total. You are helping me and I want you to have it." Cait found a pair of pants and added it to the pile as Bevin got dressed. "The total is forty-five caps." Bevin handed her half the bag and Becky counted out what she was charging and gave Bevin back the bag. Counting out ten, she left them on the counter. "A tip for the amazing dresses you made, and I will be back later." Becky laughed and Bevin and Cait left, the dresses in garment bags. "Everybody needs a hair cut." Bevin balked and Cait looked at her. "Have him take an inch off. It will make your hair grow quicker." Bevin took a deep breath and nodded. "Can you take a half inch off and style my hair? I have a date tonight." The man ran his fingers through her hair and looked at her in the mirror. "I'm not going to take that much off. Your hair is like silk. Who colored it?" She laughed. "No one. I get my color from my dad." The man nodded and he got to work. Putting rollers in her hair, he set her under a hair dryer and she sighed, content with her corner of the world. "I don't know why her kind come here. The Mayor needs to screen the people who don't belong here. I'm all for a trader, but people like her? They need to barred from being here." Bevin opened her eyes and noticed the old busy-body staring at her. "Actually I own the land where Sanctuary Hills sits on, and I woke up from a Vault about six months ago. I was so hoping being a hateful bitch died when the bombs fell, but I guess not. There will always be that one person who has to fuck things up for other people. Congratulations. You're a bitch who needs to get over the fact that no one cares about your opinion." The woman huffed, paid and walked away, and the man styling her hair looked her and grinned. He looked at the scar on her back and decided not to pry. Humming, he took out the rollers and let it fall. The men around her whistled when she was finished. Refusing her money, the stylist looked at her. "No one has been able to shut that woman up for years, and you did it in the five minutes you were here. When you want to come for a trim, come back and Joey will take good care of you." She left a nice tip and they left Diamond City and Cait made sure she was carrying the dresses Bevin wanted and they got back to the ship, they rushed inside and she got ready to rock Arthur's world.

Arthur was pacing and his nerves went up with every step. He heard her laugh, and when he turned, his knees went weak. He walked over to her and offered his arm. She looked at him and took it. "You look. Wow. I can't wait to see what you look like in a wedding dress. Heaven help your daughters when they start dating. They will never keep the boys away." She laughed. "Nah, I want sons so they can chase the pretty girls." Arthur had a feeling she would have beautiful kids and he knew he wanted to father them. He wanted to come home to her and be the one who took care of him when he was sick. He took her to the table and just like before, he pulled out her chair and she sat in it. Looking at the menu she smiled at it. "Sushi? Do you really know what it entails? It's super hard to make." He nodded, and looked up at her. "I think the cook figured out how to make it. It may not look perfect, but I tried it and it was pretty good." Bevin nodded and decided on what she wanted and as the night went on, she relaxed and had a good time. He held his hand out to her and she looked up at him. "Dance with me? I want to know how it feels to have you in my arms." She willingly went to him and he swayed with her along with the music. Spinning her around, she felt happy and ready for the next step. Placing her head on his chest, she let the music flow through her. "Elder?" He looked at the wall. "Hmm?" Her sigh was light and airy. "When I was in Good Neighbor, I was wanting to know why you proposed? You didn't know me, just from what you read in the journals Roger wrote." Arthur looked down into her blue eyes and smiled. "Reading the journals told me everything I needed to know who you were and who you are. I fell in love with the young woman I read about and it felt like I knew you, and I am sad to say that I didn't. You blow me away by just being Bevin and I hope one day you say yes when I ask." She smiled into his chest and didn't say a word. The slamming of the door made him look up to see a pissed of Piper standing in the door way glowering at Bevin. "I had a feeling you two were together. Arthur, we need to talk. Now." Arthur looked at Bevin and she nodded. "It sounds important. Go ahead. It's getting late and I am tired. Come find me when you're finished." She walked away and gave Arthur and Piper some space. Arthur watched her walk away and turned to Piper. "Did you know that your girl was spotted coming out of the Dugout Inn with a strange man? It's the talk of Diamond City." Arthur looked at Piper and knew that Cait would have said something about it if she had. Keeping that to himself, he looked at Piper and she went on. "She looked happy and very well loved on. From what I heard, she was begging him for more. I'm sorry, but I thought you'd want to know about the girl you are sniffing after. She's using you Arthur." He reached the end of his rope with her and noticed Cait walking in. "Hey Cait. Can you tell me everywhere you and Bevin went today?" Cait noticed Piper and knew something was up. "Aye. We went to Fallon's Basement where Miss Bevin bought two dresses, to the salon where she had her dead ends trimmed and a full hair package. It took all day, so we came back here so she could be ready for ye date. Why? Is there something going on?" Arthur nodded. "Did Bevin at any point have some time alone to go to the Dugout Inn?" Cait knew what he was asking. "No. Bevin was stuck at the salon, so I went to get lunch. I also ran into a very old friend there and was begging for news of home. Let me guess, Piper here told you that Bevin met up with a bloke and she heard things that no woman should be hearing about another? Piper may have left out the part where she came at our Bevin and she handed Piper her arse. Made her look the fool our bonny Bevin. Best be believing that Bevin can be civil when she's a mind to, but Piper plucked the wrong string and got hit when the wire snapped, and when she finds out Piper lied about her, things are going to go really bad for her. But I would love to know if she's willing to lie to ye face, what is she saying in her papers? I think it's best if ye found out." Piper started to sputter and gave up. Walking away, Piper left only to think about what she was going to write in the papers about Bevin.

Bevin found some lounging pants and slipped them on after taking off her dress and placing it in the garment bag Becky gave her. Her head started to hurt, so she made her way to the medical unit and threw up all over the clean floor. "Are you ok Bevin?" Dry heaving Bevin looked at Cade. "My head hurts really bad. Do you have something for it?" A Scribe walked in with a mop and cleaned up the mess and Bevin smiled her thanks. Walking back to her, he asked her everything she had for dinner and Cade knew what happened. "You are having a delayed allergic reaction. I think the cook accidentally gave you shell fish. Not enough to hurt you, but enough to make you sick. Take these and lie down. You should feel better in the morning." He grabbed a blanket and covered her up and left her to sleep. Bevin had no idea that Piper was in the room with Arthur, intent on staking her claim on a man that wanted another woman.

The next morning, Bevin felt a lot better and grabbed a cup of coffee for Arthur, her spirits on cloud nine from their date the night before. She opened the door and noticed that Piper was in bed with Arthur. In shock, the cup fell from her hands and it woke Arthur up and Piper gave her a sleepy smile. "Good Morning Bevin. Did you sleep well?" Bevin looked at Arthur. "I have a feeling you have no idea what is going on?" Bevin looked at him and he felt arms around him that felt wrong to him. "Well since we all know who you chose, I can leave. I hope whatever happened was worth losing the greatest thing that ever happened to you. I'm done. You win Piper. You can have him." She calmly walked out of the room and Arthur looked at Piper who was looking like she won a prize. He got out of the bed and threw on some clothes and went looking for Bevin to explain that nothing happened and he had no idea how Piper got into his room. He searched for her and he heard the classical music and had a feeling she was working out, so he walked up the stairs. He walked in on Bevin and Robert talking. Well she was yelling, and Robert had his head bowed. "Wow, you and Arthur should compare notes. You two can talk about how you both have an uncanny way of fucking over the women that want to be with you. Know what? It is way to early to deal with this type of stupid and I'm not dealing with you or any man that thinks they are slick as whale spit. The next man that dares to step to me in any other way than friends is going to see the full extent of my wrath. Now get the fuck out and leave me alone. You have Cait and I have a feeling that if she knew you were here to do whatever it is you're here for, she'd kill you." Robert looked at Bevin and pulled out a box and opened it. Bevin gasped and looked at him. "It's pretty." Robert looked at her. "Yeah, I got it for Cait. I take it Arthur screwed up again?" Bevin nodded. "When isn't he? I walked in this morning to him and Piper. And know what? I quit this game. If she wants him, by all means, she can have him. Sorry I yelled at you. I always wondered why my dad never got remarried, and now I know. Women are ruthless. So what are you going to do about the ring?" Robert looked at Bevin and smiled. "I was hoping you'd help me. You and her have bonded so fast that it makes my head spin. She cares for you Bevin, and I am hoping you'd help me. Please?" Bevin smiled and caught the movement of the Elder in the room. "I would love to. What are you thinking?" She listened to what Robert wanted to do, and she nodded. "Yeah that won't work. She will see that coming a mile away. You may as well come in all the way if you want to eavesdrop Elder. This way you know what to do when you ask Piper to marry you." Arthur walked in and looked at her. "We need to talk Ollie." Her eyes fired. "The only people who can call me 'Ollie' are friends and sorry sucker, you're not even at that level yet."

Piper went off in search of Arthur with the ring she found on her finger. She heard talking and had a feeling that the Vault Dweller was with her soon to be husband. Walking up the stairs, she noticed Arthur, and another man with Bevin and her vision went red. "I was wondering where you went Arthur. Are you ok?" Bevin caught the flash of light from the engagement ring and kept her mouth shut, and looked at Robert, ignoring Arthur and Piper as they sat down on the floor. "I'm serious Robert, Cait likes the simple things. You don't see the light in her eyes when she talks about you and it's nice to see. My brother was in love with a girl but he was terrified. It was funny to see, because I would give him such a hard time about her because I never met her. But when I did, I noticed how much he loved her and I was a little jealous, but as I got to know her, the more I liked her. I had a tour stop in LA so I met up with her and she took me to a jeweler and we spent three hours looking for the perfect ring. After ten minutes I was bored out of my mind. So many glitters and I would watch her face as the price tag went up and her mood lowered. She had her heart set on this beautiful half carat diamond with two sapphires on the side. Later that afternoon, I took him and showed him the ring she fell in love with and he was upset because he couldn't afford it on a solider's pay. He didn't know that the jeweler owed me a favor and I cashed it in for him. I think he paid less than half for it, but later that night, I was in the studio and she comes in all excited and hugs me, telling me Drew proposed with the ring she adored. About a month later when Drew was training, she was killed when a truck hit her head on. I don't think I ever seen Drew so lost. He made sure she was buried with the ring and that was the day I decided to completely walk away from it all. And her death was a week after my attack. I was tired of losing everything around me. Do me a favor though. When you do propose make sure it's for the right reasons, and not because you think you are finding a part of yourself. It sucks and it only hurts you in the long run." Robert nodded and looked at Bevin. "You are amazing Bevin and the man who marries you will know he got lucky." She laughed and looked at him. "Yeah, that's never gonna happen. I've decided men are not worth the trouble. I think I'll stay single." Robert hugged her and went off in search of Cait. Bevin shook her head and turned the music on and played around with dance steps and forgot that Piper and Arthur were still there. The scream of joy made Bevin smile. "At least she's happy." And she focused on the music blocking everything out except the dance steps. Arthur looked at her back and his chest felt empty. He stood up and walked out, leaving Bevin and Piper alone. "Stay away from Arthur. You were a distraction, and now that we are getting married, you can back off now. You were a toy he played with and now that I am going to be here all the time, you can chase after another guy that likes used goods." Bevin looked at her in the mirror's reflection. "I have never had sex with a man. I'm still virgin. But thanks for the tip. I wouldn't stand in the same room as Elder Maxson if you paid me all the caps in the Commonwealth. You want him so bad Piper you can have him. We both know that when I'm in a room where he is, he looks for me. So get used to being compared to me. No matter what you do, you will never be me and Arthur will punish you for that fact. He will get to watch me fall in love and get married, every fiber in his soul wishing it was him I was sharing my life with. I hope the scheming was worth it, because your life is going to be filled with regret, and it will all be Arthur's. Nice ring. Too bad I never wanted it when he asked me." She turned off the music and walked away, leaving Piper looking at the ring and realizing that Bevin was wrong. She would do everything to make sure Arthur stopped sniffing her ankles.


End file.
